10.5 Native American speculative fiction

Native American speculative fiction blends sci-fi, fantasy, and Indigenous storytelling to explore alternative realities from Native perspectives. This genre challenges colonial narratives, reimagining past, present, and future through an Indigenous lens, centering Native voices and experiences.

Rooted in traditional storytelling, the genre emerged in contemporary literature in the late 20th century. It often reimagines historical narratives, envisions alternative futures, and challenges colonial perspectives, offering unique insights into Native identity and resilience.

Defining Native American speculative fiction

• Native American speculative fiction is a genre that combines elements of science fiction, fantasy, and Indigenous storytelling traditions to explore alternative histories, futures, and realities from a Native perspective
• It often challenges dominant colonial narratives and reimagines the past, present, and future through an Indigenous lens, centering Native voices and experiences
• The genre encompasses a wide range of subgenres and styles, from dystopian fiction to alternate history to mythological retellings, but is united by its focus on Native perspectives and speculative elements

Origins of the genre

Roots in traditional storytelling

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• Native American speculative fiction has deep roots in traditional Indigenous storytelling, which often incorporates elements of the supernatural, mythological, and speculative
• Many Indigenous cultures have rich oral traditions that include stories of shape-shifting, time travel, and otherworldly beings, laying the groundwork for contemporary speculative fiction
• These traditional stories often serve important cultural functions, such as teaching moral lessons, preserving history, and explaining natural phenomena, and continue to influence modern Native speculative fiction

Emergence in contemporary literature

• While speculative elements have long been present in Indigenous storytelling, Native American speculative fiction as a distinct genre emerged in the late 20th century
• Early works like Leslie Marmon Silko's "Ceremony" (1977) and Louise Erdrich's "Tracks" (1988) incorporated speculative elements into their explorations of Native identity and history
• The genre gained momentum in the 21st century, with a growing number of Native authors publishing speculative fiction novels, short stories, and collections, often to critical acclaim

Key themes and concepts

Reimagining historical narratives

• Many works of Native American speculative fiction engage in historical revisionism, imagining alternative outcomes to key events in Native history (such as the arrival of European colonizers)
• By rewriting these narratives from a Native perspective, authors challenge dominant colonial histories and assert Indigenous agency and resilience
• Examples include William Sanders' "The Ballad of Billy Badass and the Rose of Turkestan" (1999), which imagines a world where the Cherokee Nation becomes a global superpower

Envisioning alternative futures

• Native American speculative fiction often imagines futures in which Indigenous peoples and cultures thrive, resisting erasure and assimilation
• These futures may be utopian or dystopian, but they center Native perspectives and explore the possibilities of Indigenous resilience and adaptation
• Examples include Louise Erdrich's "Future Home of the Living God" (2017), which envisions a dystopian future where evolution has begun to reverse and Native communities must navigate the fallout

Challenging colonial perspectives

• By centering Native voices and experiences, Native American speculative fiction challenges the colonial gaze and pushes back against stereotypes and misrepresentations of Indigenous peoples
• Many works in the genre critique the ongoing impacts of colonialism, from environmental destruction to cultural appropriation to political oppression
• Examples include Rebecca Roanhorse's "Trail of Lightning" (2018), which subverts the white savior trope and features a Native protagonist navigating a post-apocalyptic landscape shaped by climate change and colonial violence

Notable works and authors

Groundbreaking novels

• Leslie Marmon Silko's "Ceremony" (1977) is often credited with paving the way for Native American speculative fiction, blending Laguna Pueblo mythology with a story of post-World War II trauma and healing
• Gerald Vizenor's "Bearheart: The Heirship Chronicles" (1990) is a satirical, postmodern novel that imagines a future where Native tribes have reclaimed their ancestral lands and established a new society
• Louise Erdrich's "The Antelope Wife" (1998) weaves together multiple generations of an Ojibwe family's story, incorporating elements of magical realism and mythology

Influential short stories

• Sherman Alexie's "The Lone Ranger and Tonto Fistfight in Heaven" (1993) is a collection of interconnected short stories that blend realism with surreal and speculative elements to explore contemporary Native life
• Cynthia Leitich Smith's "A Real-Live Blond Cherokee and His Equally Annoyed Soul Mate" (2004) is a humorous science fiction story that imagines a future where a Cherokee man is cloned and must navigate questions of identity and authenticity
• Stephen Graham Jones' "Mapping the Interior" (2017) is a horror novella that follows a young boy who believes his dead father has returned as a ghost, blurring the lines between the supernatural and the psychological

Rising voices in the field

• Rebecca Roanhorse has emerged as a leading voice in Native American speculative fiction, with works like "Trail of Lightning" (2018) and "Black Sun" (2020) that draw on Navajo mythology to create immersive, action-packed fantasy worlds
• Darcie Little Badger's "Elatsoe" (2020) is a YA novel that combines mystery, fantasy, and Apache storytelling traditions to tell the story of a teenage girl who can raise the ghosts of dead animals
• Waubgeshig Rice's "Moon of the Crusted Snow" (2018) is a post-apocalyptic novel that follows an Anishinaabe community as they navigate the collapse of modern society and return to traditional ways of life

Speculative elements and techniques

Incorporating mythology and folklore

• Many works of Native American speculative fiction draw on traditional Indigenous mythologies and folklore, incorporating characters, creatures, and storylines from these rich storytelling traditions
• These elements are often adapted and reimagined to fit contemporary contexts and themes, creating a sense of continuity between the past and the present
• Examples include Daniel H. Wilson's "The Robo sapiens Saga" (2011-2014), which incorporates Cherokee mythology into a story of sentient robots and artificial intelligence

Blending sci-fi and fantasy

• Native American speculative fiction often blends elements of science fiction and fantasy, creating unique and innovative genre hybrids
• This blending reflects the fluid and interconnected nature of many Indigenous worldviews, which often do not draw hard distinctions between the natural and the supernatural
• Examples include Blake M. Hausman's "Riding the Trail of Tears" (2011), which combines alternate history with elements of science fiction and magical realism

Experimenting with form and structure

• Many works of Native American speculative fiction play with form and structure, incorporating non-linear narratives, multiple perspectives, and unconventional storytelling techniques
• These experimental approaches often reflect Indigenous storytelling traditions, which may prioritize cyclical or associative patterns over linear plot development
• Examples include Deborah A. Miranda's "The Zen of La Llorona" (2005), a short story collection that blends poetry, prose, and screenplay elements to retell traditional stories through a queer, feminist lens

Cultural significance and impact

Reclaiming Indigenous narratives

• By telling speculative stories from Native perspectives, Native American speculative fiction works to reclaim Indigenous narratives and assert control over the representation of Native peoples and cultures
• These stories often push back against stereotypes and misrepresentations perpetuated by mainstream media, offering more nuanced and authentic portrayals of Native life
• Examples include Grace L. Dillon's "Walking the Clouds: An Anthology of Indigenous Science Fiction" (2012), which brings together a diverse range of Native voices and perspectives

Empowering Native voices

• Native American speculative fiction provides a platform for Native authors to explore their identities, histories, and cultures on their own terms, free from the constraints of colonial expectations or mainstream publishing demands
• By centering Native voices and experiences, the genre works to empower Native storytellers and create space for Indigenous perspectives in the broader literary landscape
• Examples include the "Indigenerd" blog and podcast, which celebrates Native nerd culture and showcases the work of Native creators in speculative fiction and beyond

Inspiring new generations of writers

• The growing visibility and success of Native American speculative fiction is inspiring new generations of Native writers to explore the genre and tell their own stories
• Many emerging Native authors cite the groundbreaking work of earlier writers in the genre as a key influence and inspiration for their own creative pursuits
• Examples include the "Indigenous Comic Con", an annual event that celebrates Native creativity in comics, games, and speculative fiction, and provides mentorship and networking opportunities for aspiring Native creators

Relationship to other genres

Connections to Afrofuturism

• Native American speculative fiction shares many themes and concerns with Afrofuturism, another genre that uses speculative elements to explore the experiences and identities of marginalized communities
• Both genres often imagine alternative futures that center the voices and perspectives of people of color, and both use speculative storytelling as a means of resistance and empowerment
• Examples include Nnedi Okorafor's "Akata" series (2011-2022), which blends West African mythology with science fiction and fantasy elements in a way that resonates with many works of Native American speculative fiction

Parallels with magical realism

• Native American speculative fiction often incorporates elements of magical realism, blending the mundane with the magical or supernatural in ways that reflect Indigenous worldviews and storytelling traditions
• Like magical realism, Native American speculative fiction often uses fantastical elements to explore real-world issues and experiences, from the impacts of colonialism to the complexities of cultural identity
• Examples include Louise Erdrich's "The Round House" (2012), which incorporates elements of magical realism into a story of trauma, justice, and coming-of-age on an Ojibwe reservation

Intersections with post-colonial literature

• As a genre that often grapples with the ongoing impacts of colonialism and the assertion of Indigenous identity and agency, Native American speculative fiction has much in common with post-colonial literature from around the world
• Both genres often use speculative elements to critique colonial power structures, imagine alternative histories and futures, and assert the value and resilience of Indigenous cultures and ways of life
• Examples include Cherie Dimaline's "The Marrow Thieves" (2017), a dystopian novel that draws parallels between the colonial exploitation of Indigenous peoples and the extraction of bone marrow in a future world

Critical reception and scholarship

Pioneering academic studies

• Early academic studies of Native American speculative fiction helped to establish the genre as a legitimate field of inquiry and paved the way for future scholarship
• These pioneering works often focused on defining the genre, tracing its historical and cultural roots, and analyzing key themes and techniques
• Examples include Grace L. Dillon's "Hive of Dreams: Contemporary Science Fiction from the North American Aboriginal Perspective" (2004), one of the first major academic studies of Native American speculative fiction

Evolving critical discourse

• As Native American speculative fiction has grown and evolved, so too has the critical discourse surrounding the genre
• More recent scholarship has focused on the genre's relationship to other forms of speculative fiction, its engagement with contemporary social and political issues, and its role in shaping Indigenous futurisms
• Examples include Amy H. Sturgis' "The Intersection of Sci-Fi and Native America: From Parallel Universes to Situated Knowledges" (2017), which explores the ways in which Native American speculative fiction challenges Western scientific paradigms

Emerging areas of research

• As the field of Native American speculative fiction continues to expand and diversify, new areas of research are emerging that explore the genre's connections to other forms of media, its engagement with specific tribal histories and cultures, and its potential for pedagogical applications
• Scholars are also increasingly examining the genre through interdisciplinary lenses, drawing on fields like ecocriticism, gender studies, and digital humanities to shed new light on Native American speculative fiction
• Examples include William Lempert's "Decolonizing Encounters: Indigenous Science Fiction, Visions of the Future, and Settler Colonialism" (2021), which explores the genre's potential for decolonizing science fiction and imagining Indigenous futures

Future directions and possibilities

Expanding global recognition

• As more Native American speculative fiction is published and translated, the genre is gaining increasing recognition and appreciation on a global scale
• This expanding recognition is helping to bring Native voices and perspectives to new audiences, and to foster cross-cultural dialogues and collaborations
• Examples include the growing popularity of Native American speculative fiction in international markets, with works like Rebecca Roanhorse's "Black Sun" (2020) being translated into multiple languages

Adapting to new media

• Native American speculative fiction is increasingly being adapted into other forms of media, from graphic novels to video games to film and television
• These adaptations are helping to bring the genre to new audiences and to explore its themes and stories in innovative ways
• Examples include the upcoming television adaptation of Rebecca Roanhorse's "Sixth World" series, which is being developed by AMC Studios

Shaping Indigenous futurisms

• As Native American speculative fiction continues to evolve and expand, it is playing an increasingly important role in shaping Indigenous futurisms - visions of the future that center Indigenous voices, cultures, and ways of knowing
• These futurisms imagine worlds in which Indigenous peoples not only survive, but thrive, and in which traditional knowledge and new technologies can coexist and complement each other
• Examples include the "Indigenous Futurisms" movement, which brings together Native artists, writers, and scholars to explore the possibilities of Indigenous-centered futures, and to create speculative works that reflect Indigenous values and worldviews