Postmemory and the search for identity in contemporary native American novels

This study will analyze Native American traditions, culture and the reconstruction of identity in the novels of four Native American authors ,which include autobiographical elements: Leslie Marmon Silko's Ceremony (1986), Louis Owens' The Sharpest Sight (1991), Linda Hogan's Power (1999), and Diane Glancy's Pushing the Bear: After the Trail of Tears (2009). The concepts of warriors, totem animals, the lost land and the traditions of the Native Americans will be discussed. The aim is to analyze the selected novels by using Marianne Hirsch's concept of postmemory in order to show how the next generations bridge the gap between themselves and their culture, history, land, and ancestors which are inseparable for Native Americans. In the light of Hirsch's approach, the reconstruction of Native American identity and creating new memories will be demonstrated.