Nature, Nation, and Narrative: The Role of the Land in Indigenous Literatures in English

This paper studies how land is depicted in Indigenous novels written in English, including Carpentaria by Alexis Wright, The Night Watchman by Louise Erdrich and The Marrow Thieves by Cherie Dimaline. In these novels, the land comes alive, showing its connection to the past, who the people are and how they stand up to adversity. Using Indigenous knowledge and writings that challenge colonial thinking, the study looks at the way land appears in stories and is connected to religious, legal and political systems. By analyzing the texts, the study reveals how colonial interventions like resources harvesting, policies of forced assimilation and crisis in the environment are opposed by Indigenous literature that refreshes bonds with the land. The novels highlight different ways of rebelling such as sharing old knowledge, telling past stories, leading the future generation and using the court system, all connected by where they live. The study points out that Indigenous literatures use land as a theme and as an operator affecting character, narrative construction and the preservation of cultural memories. It advocates for a shift in studies and teaching literature to focus on the ground and Indigenous cultures. Because of this study, there are more discussions about decolonization and the revival of Indigenous identities through literature.