A Dancing with Ghosts: The Haunting Presence of Ancestral Memory in "A Yellow Raft in the River"
Keywords:
Multigenerational, Ancestral Legacy, Resilience's, Cultural Reclamation, ComplexitiesAbstract
Michael Dorris' "A Yellow Raft in the River" embarks on a multigenerational odyssey within the Mississippi River's embrace, resonating with the ancestral legacy of three Native American women - Christine, Ida, and Rayona. Anchored in ancestral memory, this narrative intertwines dispossession's anguish, resilience's fortitude, and an enduring quest for wholeness. While extensively analyzed, the intricate nexus between ancestral memory, personal identity, and collective narratives in the novel remains underexplored. This research examines the transmission of ancestral memory's shaping influence, the characters' engagements with the past, and the novel's contribution to discussions on cultural reclamation and historical justice within Indigenous communities. Employing qualitative methods, including textual analysis and Indigenous literary theory, this study unravels the complexities of ancestral memory, enriching comprehension of identity, cultural resurgence, and historical rectitude in today's world.
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