Shahid Beheshti University Critical Language and Literary Studies 20087330 22 34 2025 04 21 From Erasure to Empowerment Active Cultural Resistance in Recent Indigenous Novels From Erasure to Empowerment Active Cultural Resistance in Recent Indigenous Novels 23 32 105509 10.48308/clls.2025.238355.1292 FA Sajjad Gheytasi Assistant Professor, Faculty of Foreign Languages and Literatures, Payame Noor University (PNU) Journal Article 2025 01 12 This essay analyzes the role of cultural resistance in three contemporary novels: The Night Watchman by Louise Erdrich, Sharks in the Time of Saviors by Kawai Strong Washburn, and How Beautiful We Were by Imbolo Mbue. The study explores how these authors use storytelling, memory, and indigenous traditions to resist hegemonic narratives and assert marginalized identities. Erdrich’s work critiques the U.S. government's Termination policy, emphasizing Native American sovereignty, while Washburn explores the commodification of Hawaiian culture within capitalist structures. Mbue’s novel portrays a fictional African village resisting ecological and cultural destruction caused by a corporate oil company. Drawing on postcolonial and indigenous studies – particularly the works of Gerald Vizenor, Ernesto Laclau and Chantal Mouffe, Homi K. Bhabha, Ngũgĩ wa Thiong’o etc. – the essay examines the theoretical underpinnings of cultural resistance, highlighting the transformative power of literature in challenging systemic oppression. Central to the novels is the role of indigenous storytelling as both a method of preserving cultural heritage and a form of defiance against cultural erasure. Through these works, the essay emphasizes the importance of cultural memory, environmental justice, and the significant role of women in resisting colonial and capitalist exploitation. This essay analyzes the role of cultural resistance in three contemporary novels: The Night Watchman by Louise Erdrich, Sharks in the Time of Saviors by Kawai Strong Washburn, and How Beautiful We Were by Imbolo Mbue. The study explores how these authors use storytelling, memory, and indigenous traditions to resist hegemonic narratives and assert marginalized identities. Erdrich’s work critiques the U.S. government's Termination policy, emphasizing Native American sovereignty, while Washburn explores the commodification of Hawaiian culture within capitalist structures. Mbue’s novel portrays a fictional African village resisting ecological and cultural destruction caused by a corporate oil company. Drawing on postcolonial and indigenous studies – particularly the works of Gerald Vizenor, Ernesto Laclau and Chantal Mouffe, Homi K. Bhabha, Ngũgĩ wa Thiong’o etc. – the essay examines the theoretical underpinnings of cultural resistance, highlighting the transformative power of literature in challenging systemic oppression. Central to the novels is the role of indigenous storytelling as both a method of preserving cultural heritage and a form of defiance against cultural erasure. Through these works, the essay emphasizes the importance of cultural memory, environmental justice, and the significant role of women in resisting colonial and capitalist exploitation. https://clls.sbu.ac.ir/article_105509_a79e96c8eb9453c1e6952d16b27adb82.pdf