Preserving Cultural Heritage in Indigenous Pandemic Fiction: “Coming-to” Stories of Resistance in Cherie Dimaline’s The Marrow Thieves

This study intends to investigate Indigenous pandemic fiction through an analysis of The Marrow Thieves by Métis writer Cherie Dimaline. By depicting the journey of the Métis protagonist Frenchie, the novel explores Indigenous identity in a dystopian scenario where non-Indigenous people have succ...

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Main Author: Bastianoni, Elena
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Fondazione Università Ca’ Foscari 2024-12-01
Series:Il Tolomeo
Subjects:
Online Access:http://doi.org/10.30687/Tol/2499-5975/2024/01/010
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author Bastianoni, Elena
author_facet Bastianoni, Elena
author_sort Bastianoni, Elena
collection DOAJ
description This study intends to investigate Indigenous pandemic fiction through an analysis of The Marrow Thieves by Métis writer Cherie Dimaline. By depicting the journey of the Métis protagonist Frenchie, the novel explores Indigenous identity in a dystopian scenario where non-Indigenous people have succumbed to a plague affecting the ability to dream. Taking into consideration Jan Assmann’s concept of cultural memory and N. Scott Momaday’s depiction of the power of language, the paper would focus on the role of storytelling and linguistic heritage in the process of ‘survivance’ of Indigenous identity. The novel outlines dreams as spaces of resistance bound to the protection of cultural identity, by also revisiting the history of forced assimilation through the Residential School System. Frenchie’s journey presents the act of dreaming as the ultimate symbol of hope in a posthuman scenario where humankind has lost control over the Earth.
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publishDate 2024-12-01
publisher Fondazione Università Ca’ Foscari
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series Il Tolomeo
spelling doaj-art-dec479e423f94488a5789f5d77d5d65c2025-08-20T02:20:51ZengFondazione Università Ca’ FoscariIl Tolomeo2499-59752024-12-0126110.30687/Tol/2499-5975/2024/01/010journal_article_19180Preserving Cultural Heritage in Indigenous Pandemic Fiction: “Coming-to” Stories of Resistance in Cherie Dimaline’s The Marrow ThievesBastianoni, Elena0Università di Pisa, Italia This study intends to investigate Indigenous pandemic fiction through an analysis of The Marrow Thieves by Métis writer Cherie Dimaline. By depicting the journey of the Métis protagonist Frenchie, the novel explores Indigenous identity in a dystopian scenario where non-Indigenous people have succumbed to a plague affecting the ability to dream. Taking into consideration Jan Assmann’s concept of cultural memory and N. Scott Momaday’s depiction of the power of language, the paper would focus on the role of storytelling and linguistic heritage in the process of ‘survivance’ of Indigenous identity. The novel outlines dreams as spaces of resistance bound to the protection of cultural identity, by also revisiting the history of forced assimilation through the Residential School System. Frenchie’s journey presents the act of dreaming as the ultimate symbol of hope in a posthuman scenario where humankind has lost control over the Earth. http://doi.org/10.30687/Tol/2499-5975/2024/01/010Cherie Dimaline. Cultural heritage. Dreaming. Indigenous pandemic fiction. Storytelling
spellingShingle Bastianoni, Elena
Preserving Cultural Heritage in Indigenous Pandemic Fiction: “Coming-to” Stories of Resistance in Cherie Dimaline’s The Marrow Thieves
Il Tolomeo
Cherie Dimaline. Cultural heritage. Dreaming. Indigenous pandemic fiction. Storytelling
title Preserving Cultural Heritage in Indigenous Pandemic Fiction: “Coming-to” Stories of Resistance in Cherie Dimaline’s The Marrow Thieves
title_full Preserving Cultural Heritage in Indigenous Pandemic Fiction: “Coming-to” Stories of Resistance in Cherie Dimaline’s The Marrow Thieves
title_fullStr Preserving Cultural Heritage in Indigenous Pandemic Fiction: “Coming-to” Stories of Resistance in Cherie Dimaline’s The Marrow Thieves
title_full_unstemmed Preserving Cultural Heritage in Indigenous Pandemic Fiction: “Coming-to” Stories of Resistance in Cherie Dimaline’s The Marrow Thieves
title_short Preserving Cultural Heritage in Indigenous Pandemic Fiction: “Coming-to” Stories of Resistance in Cherie Dimaline’s The Marrow Thieves
title_sort preserving cultural heritage in indigenous pandemic fiction coming to stories of resistance in cherie dimaline s the marrow thieves
topic Cherie Dimaline. Cultural heritage. Dreaming. Indigenous pandemic fiction. Storytelling
url http://doi.org/10.30687/Tol/2499-5975/2024/01/010
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