Manifestations of Tribalography in Indigenous American Literature: LeAnne Howe and Beyond

Abstract

LeAnne Howe has contributed to interpretations of American Indian storytelling by coining the term “tribalography” as the stories that bring us together, American Indian and non-Native peoples, through the past, present and future. She broadened the term by introducing embodied tribalography, incorporating the land, body, language, and mind. Howe’s creative works display her theories but can also be applied outside of her work. After looking at Howe’s work as a model for tribalographic texts, The Grass Dancer will be explored as an example of tribalography, and The Indolent Boys by N. Scott Momaday will be explored as an example of embodied tribalography.