Re-inscribing Ancient Connections, Following New Trajectories in Native American Literature: William Sanders’ The Ballad of Billy Badass and the Rose of Turkestan
Keywords:
Native American literature, cultural survival, colonial boundaries, Gerald Vizenor, Linda HoganAbstract
This article analyzes the evolution of Native American literature, focusing on how contemporary writers have redefined the scope and trajectories of their narratives. It argues that modern Native American novels have moved beyond demolishing stereotypical representations to exploring broader themes of cultural survival and adaptation. The paper explores how authors like Gerald Vizenor, Linda Hogan, and others have re-inscribed ancient connections and transgressed colonial boundaries to assert a more expansive presence for Native Americans in literature. This study examines the use of popular genres and experimental forms to convey complex characters and narratives that reflect the full range of human experiences within Native American contexts. The author contends that these literary strategies represent a significant shift in Native American literature, marking a refusal of empire and a reclamation of cultural agency.
(The abstract and keywords were prepared retrospectively for indexing purposes using AI-assisted tools and editorial review, based on the original article. They did not appear in the original publication.)
References
Alexie, Sherman. Indian Killer. New York: Atlantic Monthly Press, 1996.
Armstrong, Jeanette. Slash. Penticton, British Columbia: Theytus Books, 1988.
Bhabha, Homi. The Location of Culture. London: Routledge, 1994.
Blevins, Win. The Rock Child: A Novel of a Journey. New York: Forge, 1998.
Carr, A. A. Eye Killers. Norman, OK: U of Oklahoma P, 1996.
DeLillo, Don. Underworld. New York: Scribners, 1997.
Davidson, Arnold E., Priscilla Walton, and Jennifer Andrews. Border Crossings: Thomas King’s Cultural Inversions. Toronto, ON: U of Toronto P, 2003.
Donaldson, John K. “Arnold E. Davidson, Priscilla L. Walton, and Jennifer Andrews, Border Crossings: Thomas King’s Cultural Inversions.” American Studies
International 41.3 (2003).
---. “As Long as the Waters Shall Run: The ‘Obstructed Water’ Metaphor in American Indian Fiction.” American Studies International 40.2 (2002).
---. “Chris LaLonde, Grave Concerns, Trickster Turns: The Novels of Louis Owens.” American Studies International 41.2 (2003).
---. “Native American Sleuths: Following in the Footsteps of the Indian Guides?” Telling the Stories: Essays on American Literatures and Cultures. New York: Peter Lang, 2001.
---. “The Themes of Reciprocity and Renewal in Traditional Cherokee Culture.” Diss. George Washington U, 1995.
---. “Trademark or Metaphor?: Two Case Studies of ‘Mixblood’ Writing in the United States Today.” Canadian Review of American Studies 27. 3 (1997): 215 236.
Highway, Tomson. Kiss of the Fur Queen. Toronto, ON: Doubleday Canada; 1998.
Hogan, Linda. Solar Storms: A Novel. New York: Scribners, 1995.
Jones, Stephen Graham. The Fast Red Road: A Plainsong. Chicago, IL: Northwestern U P, 2000.
King, Thomas. Green Grass, Running Water. Boston, MA: Houghton Mifflin, 1993.
LaLonde, Chris. Grave Concerns, Trickster Turns: The Novels of Louis Owens. American Indian Literature and Critical Studies Series 43. Norman, OK: U of Oklahoma P, 2002.
Marchessault, Jovette. Le Crachat Solaire. Comme Un Enfant de la Terre. Vol. 1. Montreal: Leméac, 1975.
---. Like a Child of the Earth. Trans. Yvonne Klein. Vancouver, B.C.: Talonbooks, 1988.
McCutcheon, James. Electric Rivers: The Story of the James Bay Project. Toronto, ON: U of Toronto P, Black Rose Books, 1992.
Mourning Dove. Cogewea, the Half Blood: A Depiction of the Great Montana Cattle Range. Lincoln, NE: U of Nebraska P, 1987 [1927].
Mooney, James. Myths of the Cherokee. Nineteenth Annual Report of the Bureau of American Ethnology, 1897-98. Washington, DC: GPO, 1900. 3-576
Owens, Louis. Nightland. New York: Dutton, 1996.
---. The Sharpest Sight. American Indian Literature and Critical Studies Series. Vol. 1. Norman, OK: U of Oklahoma P, 1992.
Sanders, William. The Ballad of Billy Badass and the Rose of Turkestan. Philadelphia, PA: Xlibris Corporation, 1999.
---. Blood Autumn: A Taggart Roper Mystery. New York: St. Martin’s Press, 1995.
Seals, David. The Powwow Highway: A Novel. New York: Plume, 1990.
Silko, Leslie Marmon. Gardens in the Dunes. New York: Simon and Schuster, 1999.
Sirois, Al. “The Ballad of Billy Badass and the Rose of Turkestan.” Outside, May 1999.
Speck, Frank G. and Leonard Broom. Cherokee Dance and Drama. With the collaboration of Will West Long. Berkeley, CA: U of California P, 1951; reprint, Norman, OK: U of Oklahoma P, 1983.
Vizenor, Gerald. Griever: An American Monkey King in China. Minneapolis, MN: U of Minnesota P, 1998.
Welch, James. The Heartsong of Charging Elk. New York: Doubleday, 2000.
---. Fool’s Crow. New York: Penguin Books, 1986.Speck, Frank G. and Leonard Broom. Cherokee Dance and Drama. With the collaboration of Will West Long. Berkeley, CA: U of California P, 1951; reprint, Norman, OK: U of Oklahoma P, 1983.
Vizenor, Gerald. Griever: An American Monkey King in China. Minneapolis, MN: U of Minnesota P, 1998.
Welch, James. The Heartsong of Charging Elk. New York: Doubleday, 2000.
---. Fool’s Crow. New York: Penguin Books, 1986.
