Our Relentless Objectification of Native Americans: As Exemplified by Louise Erdrich and Cherie Dimaline

Authors

Lena Kozubek, Kennesaw State UniversityFollow

Name of Faculty Sponsor

Dr. Miriam Brown Spiers

Faculty Sponsor Email

mspiers1@kennesaw.edu

Author Bio(s)

Lena Kozubek is a 2023 graduate of Kennesaw State University, where she received a BA in English and History. Her passion for education and advocating for marginalized communities has led her to pursue a career in the legal field. In her spare time, she actively volunteers for museums, animal conservation sanctuaries, and ecotourism organizations.

Publication Date

6-2025

Abstract

Indigenous communities relentlessly challenge the normalized commodification of their culture and beliefs. One way they actively address these oppressions is through storytelling. Their accounts educate readers and encourage them to re-frame modern perspectives and how stereotypes affect Native communities. Their stories are not a simple myth; instead, they serve as an active participant to combat actions that treat Indigenous people as an anomaly. We should treat Native Americans as human beings who invariably struggle with present-day degradations, commodification, and continual displacement. Indigenous authors reclaim their narrative by using their historical context and storytelling skills to dissect the parallels between fact and fiction. Two excellent examples of this marriage of reality and fiction are Cherie Dimaline’s The Marrow Thieves and Louise Erdrich’s Future Home of the Living God. Analyzing the treatment of Native peoples in both life and death will help us better understand the historical influences, normalized justifications, and stigmas that surround Indigenous peoples.