Indigenous Identity In 'Ceremony And Old Men Of The Sea'

Ian Tsai 00121145
Professor Yauling Hsieh
Comparative Literature: An Introduction MEN60102
17 June 2014
Ecocriticism: Reconstruction of Indigenous Identity in
Leslie Marmon Silko’s Ceremony and Syaman Rapongan’s Old Men of the Sea Impacted by Western cultures, Native American’s traditions gradually disappear. Similar to Native American, The Tao (達悟 Dawu) traditions are threatened by Han influences. To preserve indigenous customs, native writers either portray how dominant cultures impact aborigines or portray how native traditions do good for their lives. In Leslie Marmon Silko’s Ceremony and Syaman Rapongan’s Old Men of the Sea (老海人 Laohairen)1, both indigenous writers depict characters who confuse their identity when they are impacted by dominant cultures, that is, Western culture and Han Culture. However, when they reunite with nature, their traditions, and forsake main culture, their aboriginal identities reconstruct.

I. Ecocriticism: Definition of Culture and Nature Ecocriticism is a
In Silko’s Ceremony and Syaman’s Old Men of the Sea, all the aboriginal characters are impacted by dominant cultures. Some natives accept dominant cultures, such as Luomabike and Tayo’s cousin Rocky, but others reject main cultures. To preserve their indigenous identity, Tayo, the protagonist in Silko’s Ceremony and Anluomien, one of the protagonists in Syaman’s Old Men of the Sea reunite with nature to articulate and reconstruct their native