Traversing inward: faith healing through oral traditions in select texts of Easterine Kire and Leslie Marmon Silko

This essay examines faith healing in the select texts of Easterine Kire’s Son of the Thundercloud (2016) and Leslie Marmon Silko’s Ceremony (2016) as a spiritual and ecological practice that extends beyond the biomedical paradigm of healing. By analyzing both texts, the study foregrounds how narratives of healing are embedded in the ecological consciousness of the oral traditions. Faith healing is not confined to individual restoration but is deeply tied to community resilience and the healing of the natural world. Drawing on the theoretical perspectives of environmental humanities and Indigenous studies, the essay situates faith healing within the framework of Indigenous epistemologies, where human and nonhuman agencies, land, and the spirit are correlative forces in the processes of renewal of Indigenous healing practices. The discussion arises from the study of the characters in both texts and their connection to their surroundings, leading to a faith-induced spiritual healing. Through textual analysis of both texts, this essay demonstrates that storytelling, ceremonies and remembrance of oral traditions function simultaneously as therapeutic acts, reinforcing cultural sovereignty and resilience. The paper argues that the narrative of healing in both texts offers vital insights into the sustainable epistemological foundation of healing, weaving together body, spirit, land, and community.