Voices of Resistance: Using Indigenous Young Adult Literature as a Pathway for Decolonization

Abstract

This thesis explores the role of Indigenous futurism and Indigenous Young Adult Literature (IYAL) in decolonizing academic and creative spaces that are dominated by Euro-American control. The Marrow Thieves, by Cherie Dimaline, To Shape a Dragon’s Breath by Moniquill Blackgoose, and Elatsoe by Darcie Little Badger are all powerful stories of Indigenous resistance that subvert traditional colonial power structures through their depictions of Indigenous epistemologies, knowledge, tribalography, and agency. This thesis utilizes an Indigenous conceptual framework that is centered around the following questions: Is settler colonialism ethical? How does settler colonialism harm Indigenous agency and epistemologies? How do Indigenous epistemologies empower Indigenous agency? IYAL is a powerful tool that allows authors to write back against colonization. This study will further analyze how canonical YA, science fiction, and fantasy perpetuate themes of settler colonialism that seek to eliminate or omit the Native. IYAL allows both Indigenous and non-Indigenous readers to confront colonialism utilizing tools discussed in this thesis, like syncretic multiculturalism and Tribal Critical Race Theory.