Healing and Indigenous Ecofeminism in Solar Storms by Linda Hogan
Research or Creativity Area
Humanities & Arts
Abstract
This paper examines the intertwining of Indigenous feminist and ecological themes in Linda Hogan’s 1997 novel, Solar Storms. Hogan crafts a narrative that revolves around the displacement and exploitation of indigenous lands and peoples. The story follows Angela Johnson, a young Native American woman, as she returns from white foster families to her grandmothers and birthplace on a journey of self-discovery and introspection with her cultural roots. Hogan weaves the themes of reconnection and reclamation to illuminate the deeply rooted intimate relations between women and the natural world.
Analyzing Solar Storms from an Indigenous ecofeminist perspective allows us to uncover the connectivity that binds the contemporary and historical subjugation of both women and the environment. Indigenous ecofeminism recognizes the kinship and intricate relationships between indigenous people and their land. Hogan explores how displacement, stemming from settler colonialism, alienates Indigenous communities and individuals from their lands and cultural traditions. The novel continues to develop this idea as it unravels Angela’s alienated, complex relationship with her mother, grandmothers, and her Indigenous culture and community. This paper seeks to show how Angela’s search for her roots and fight for her future mirrors the broader themes of ecofeminism from an Indigenous perspective.
In my analysis, I delve into the profound ongoing impact of entangled setter colonial violence against the natural world and indigenous peoples, whose trauma is both physical and psychological. Angela’s journey in Solar Storms encompasses not only the healing of the environment but also the healing of individuals, families, and communities through Native American traditional ecological wisdom that intervenes in the prevailing environmental degradation. This paper will demonstrate how Solar Storms underscores the inseparable connection between people and the environment through indigenous experiences and perspectives.
Location
Don and Karen DeRosa University Center (DUC) Room 211
Start Date
27-4-2024 11:45 AM
End Date
27-4-2024 12:00 PM
Healing and Indigenous Ecofeminism in Solar Storms by Linda Hogan
Don and Karen DeRosa University Center (DUC) Room 211
This paper examines the intertwining of Indigenous feminist and ecological themes in Linda Hogan’s 1997 novel, Solar Storms. Hogan crafts a narrative that revolves around the displacement and exploitation of indigenous lands and peoples. The story follows Angela Johnson, a young Native American woman, as she returns from white foster families to her grandmothers and birthplace on a journey of self-discovery and introspection with her cultural roots. Hogan weaves the themes of reconnection and reclamation to illuminate the deeply rooted intimate relations between women and the natural world.
Analyzing Solar Storms from an Indigenous ecofeminist perspective allows us to uncover the connectivity that binds the contemporary and historical subjugation of both women and the environment. Indigenous ecofeminism recognizes the kinship and intricate relationships between indigenous people and their land. Hogan explores how displacement, stemming from settler colonialism, alienates Indigenous communities and individuals from their lands and cultural traditions. The novel continues to develop this idea as it unravels Angela’s alienated, complex relationship with her mother, grandmothers, and her Indigenous culture and community. This paper seeks to show how Angela’s search for her roots and fight for her future mirrors the broader themes of ecofeminism from an Indigenous perspective.
In my analysis, I delve into the profound ongoing impact of entangled setter colonial violence against the natural world and indigenous peoples, whose trauma is both physical and psychological. Angela’s journey in Solar Storms encompasses not only the healing of the environment but also the healing of individuals, families, and communities through Native American traditional ecological wisdom that intervenes in the prevailing environmental degradation. This paper will demonstrate how Solar Storms underscores the inseparable connection between people and the environment through indigenous experiences and perspectives.
