NATIVE AMERICAN ORAL TRADITION IN SHERMAN ALEXIE’S RESERVATION BLUES
Abstract
The oral tradition of Native Americans is vital in maintaining their cultural identity, particularly in the face of the challenges posed by modernization and the long-standing impacts of colonialism that have threatened the existence of their original culture. Sherman Alexie’s novel Reservation Blues illustrates these elements of oral tradition and their functions within Native American culture. This research employs a phenomenological approach and Ruth Finnegan’s oral tradition theory to analyze how the elements of oral tradition in the novel serve as tools for critique and the restoration of Spokane’s cultural identity. Oral tradition is a cultural heritage from the past that needs to be preserved because, if it is not maintained and passed down to younger generations, it will simply disappear. Oral tradition serves as a means to recognize and understand the collective trauma experienced by the community at that time and to rebuild the identity of Native American society. This research concludes that the elements of oral tradition in the novel function to preserve cultural identity, reflect collective trauma, and critique the marginalization of the Spokane community. The narratives of oral tradition are also connected to Native American cultural values, revealing their struggles and resilience in the face of modernization and colonialism.References
Bascom, W. (1965). The Forms of Folklore. The Journal of American Folklore, 78(307), 3–20. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.2307/538099
Brave Heart, M. Y. H., Chase, J., Elkins, J., & Altschul, D. B. (2011). Historical trauma among Indigenous peoples of the Americas: Concepts, research, and clinical considerations. Journal of Psychoactive Drugs, 43(4), 282–290. https://doi.org/10.1080/02791072.2011.628913
Brown-Rice, K. (2013). Examining the Theory of Historical Trauma Among Native Americans. The Professional Counselor, 3(3), 117–130. https://doi.org/10.15241/kbr.3.3.117
Endraswara, S. (2018). Antropologi Sastra Lisan: Perspektif, Teori, Dan Praktik Pengkajian. Yayasan Pustaka Obor Indonesia.
Finnegan, R. (1992). Oral Traditions and the Verbal Arts: A Guide to Research Practices. Routledge.
Finnegan, R. (2012). Oral Literature in Africa. OpenBook Publisher.
Garrett, M. T., Garrett, J. T., Torres-Rivera, E., Wilbur, M., & Roberts-Wilbur, J. (2005). Laughing it up: Native American humor as spiritual tradition. Journal of Multicultural Counseling and Development, 33(4), 194–204. https://doi.org/10.1002/j.2161-1912.2005.tb00016.x
Greening, N. (2019). Phenomenological Research Methodology. Scientific Research Journal, VII(V). https://doi.org/10.31364/scirj/v7.i5.2019.p0519656
Lowenstein, T., & Vitebsky, P. (2012). Native American Myths and Beliefs (Vol. 32, Issue 3). The Rosen Publishing Group.
Merleau-Ponty, M. (2005). Phenomenology of Perception. Routledge.
Moling, M. (2016). “Anarchy on the Rez”: The blues, popular culture, and survival in Sherman Alexie’s reservation blues. American Indian Culture and Research Journal, 40(3), 1–22. https://doi.org/10.17953/aicrj.40.3.moling
Obregon, L. (2014). Modernization and Indigenous Peoples: Culture, Discourse, and Development. THE INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS JOURNAL, 33, 66–87. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781315756233-6
Patterson, M. W. (2002). “Real” Indian Songs: The Society of American Indians and the Use of Native American Culture as a Means of Reform. American Indian Quarterly, 26(1), 44–66. http://www.jstor.org/stable/4128474
Price, T. E. (2016). Sherman Alexie ’ s Reservation Blues?: The Native American Journey Reflected in Dreams. Jostes: The Journal of South Texas English Studies, 6(2), 47–55.
Purwanti, D. (2022). Sumur Gumuling dalam Cerita Lisan Masyarakat. Jurnal Riset Daerah, 22(1), 4167–4174. https://doi.org/10.64730/jrdbantul.v22i1.70
Saiyed, Z., & Irwin, P. D. (2017). Native American storytelling toward symbiosis and sustainable design. Energy Research and Social Science, 31(May), 249–252. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.erss.2017.05.029
Schulhoff, A. M. (2010). More Than Bows and Arrows?: Subversion and Double-Consciousness in Native American Storytelling. University of South Florida.
Sibarani, R. (2015). Pendekatan Antropolinguistik Terhadap Kajian Tradisi Lisan. RETORIKA: Jurnal Ilmu Bahasa, 1(1), 1–17. https://doi.org/10.22225/jr.1.1.105.1-17
Siedlak, M. J. (2023). The Shadow Realm: A Journey into the Mysterious World of Shadow People. Oshun Publications LLC.
Simatupang, C., Purba, A. S., & Siringo-Ringo, E. G. (2024). Analisis Peran Tradisi Lisan Dalam Melestarikan Warisan Budaya Indonesia. Jiic: Jurnal Intelek Insan Cendikia, 1(4), 681–685.
Smallwood, R., Woods, C., Power, T., & Usher, K. (2020). Understanding the Impact of Historical Trauma Due to Colonization on the Health and Well-Being of Indigenous Young Peoples: A Systematic Scoping Review. Journal of Transcultural Nursing, 32(1), 59–68. https://doi.org/10.1177/1043659620935955
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2026 Jurnal JOEPALLT (Journal of English Pedagogy, Linguistics, Literature, and Teaching)
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
I. Transfer of copyright
By execution of the present Statement Author transfers copyright and assigns exclusively to Publisher all rights, title and interest that Author may have (for the extent transferable) in and to the Article and any revisions or versions, but not limited to the sole right to print, publish and sell the Article worldwide in all languages and media. Transfer of the above rights is referred to as those of the final and published version of the Article but does not restrict Author to self-archive the preprint version of his/her paper.
II. Rights and obligations of Publisher
The Publisher rights to the Article shall especially include, but shall not be limited to:
Ability to publish an electronic version of the Article via the website
Distribution provided by or through joepallt from time to time, selling the Article world-wide (through subscriptions, Pay-per-View, single archive sale, etc.)
Publishing the Article in the printed Journals as listed on the official Website of Publisher
Transferring the copyright and the right of use of the Article.
Taking measures on behalf of the Author against infringement, inappropriate use of the Article, libel or plagiarism.
Publisher agrees to send the text of the Article to the e-mail address of Author indicated in the present Statement for preview before the first publishing either in paper and/or electronic format (Proof). Author shall return the corrected text of the Article within 1 week to the Publisher.
III. Rights and obligations of Author
The Author declares and warrants that he/she is the exclusive author of the Article or has the right to represent all co-authors of the and has not granted any exclusive or non-exclusive right to the Article to any third party prior to the execution of the present Statement and has the right therefore to enter into the present Statement and entitle the Publisher the use of the Article subject to the present Statement.
By executing the present Statement Author confirms that the Article is free of plagiarism, and that Author has exercised reasonable care to ensure that it is accurate and, to the best of Author's knowledge, does not contain anything which is libelous, or obscene, or infringes on anyone copyright, right of privacy, or other rights.
The preprint version is the Authors' manuscript or the galley proof or the Authors' manuscript along with the corrections made in the course of the peer review process. The Authors' right to self-archive is irrespective of the format of the preprint (.doc, .tex., .pdf) version and self-archiving includes the free circulation of this file via e-mail or publication of this preprint on the Authors' webpage or on the Authors' institutional repository with open or restricted access.
For any disputes arising from or in connection with the present Statement Parties agree in the exclusive competence of joepallt's publisher
Date and place of signature
