American Literature

Foreword
This research paper provides an analysis of the power of storytelling of two stories  The Plague of Doves by Louise Erdrich and Ghost Singer by Anna Lee Walters  in relation to the issues of identity.

Thesis
The storytelling of the Native Americans is much diversified when talking about its beliefs, language, and cultural patterns, but it has one common feature  the power of storytelling makes a strong emphasis on physical and spiritual harmony between humanity and nature and the maintenance of a viable sense of community within the structures of the tribe.

Introduction
Amid different types of literature, the Native American literature is one of the most fascinating and mystifying. It can be defined by the rich and fascinating legends of the Indian tribes that have been passed down from the ancestors of the Native American people. Their folklore is distinguished for its oral tradition and cultural heritage. It consists of various songs, poems, prayers, ritual drama, and an abundance of stories. One of the most important features of Indian storytelling is that it serves as a great tool of orally transferring the beliefs, rituals, and traditions from generation to generation.

The power of storytelling is a significant tool used for uniting people and forming the cultural identities of the Native Americans. Though these stories didnt exist in writing until the early 19th century, they were certainly one of the most essential sources of cultural heritage, every generation of Native Americans could insert new features and information, producing a inimitable mixture of old and new traditions. A chief feature of storytelling is that it places a strong emphasis on tangibility, and more importantly, on spiritual unity and harmony amongst people and the nature that creates a sense of community. Storytelling, as a social and cultural tool serves to pass on the cultural identities of the Native American people.

It is essential to point out that the storytelling of the Indian tribes is a prominent genre of folklore that had a great influence over twentieth-century Native American writing in English in which the narrative modes of the novel prevail (Native American Literature, 2010). There are numerous works dedicated to Native American culture, traditions, identity, and problems they face living in the American society. Among these books there are two, which are rather powerful and popular - these are The Plague of Dover by Louise Erdrich and The Ghost Singer by Anna Walters.

We will discuss these books by focusing on the way they utilize the power of the Indian storytelling in regards to the issues of identity and cultural heritage of the Native American people. These two books are a good source for analysis of multiple points addressing the relation of stories to history and culture.

In the first book The Plague of Doves by Louise Erdrich, several characters that we meet throughout the book are the narrators in the story. Louise Erdrich uses this mode of narration in order to create a story that is presented from multiple points and perspectives. Every story that is told by each of the characters in every episode is also discussed by them in the novel, making the story come together by systematically unfolding to the reader. Each chapter provides the reader with a perception of how the relationships between past, present and future of the main characters and their ancestors are revealed.

It seems that the story is a big puzzle that consists of an array of pieces. And all these pieces of this great puzzle are the stories told by each narrator. We can also compare this puzzle to a quilt. As we know quilts are made of numerous motley pieces of cloth. As a rule these pieces are cut out from cloth or old clothes that had once belonged to the members of family. The quilts are then passed down from generation to generation and represent the cultural heritage of each family. As we can see, the quilt also represents individual identity as it is composed of interlocking pieces of cultural-historical, individual-biological, and interpersonal-relational attributes (Witherell 1991).

Generally speaking, The Plague of Doves tells a story of crucial changes that took place in the small town of Pluto over a certain period of time. These changes are destructive, as they actually lead to the destruction of the cultural identity of the towns citizens and to the loss of cultural heritage that was formed over many centuries. As the story progresses, we not only observe the decline of the town, but also the collapse of cultural and spiritual identities and traditions of the people. The main concern of the characters is their ability to hand down their traditions, knowledge and experience, that define their identities, to their descendants.

The goal for these traditions is due to the fact that many young people leave their native town for the big cities where they attempt to start a new life while searching for new and bright perspectives. This process turns the small and quiet town into a dying and decaying village. Because of this the native inhabitants of Pluto are gradually losing their identities. As we read the story we realize that losing ones identity is basically the same as dying. Though this death is not physical, it is no less final. Spiritual death can be devastating for people who appreciate and are proud of their cultural heritage. The problem is that when people lose the link to their ancestors, they become aimless, and in my opinion, that can be worse than death.

In The Plague of Doves the elders of the towns community tell various stories about their past and their ancestors. These stories create a representation of self and a sense of belonging to the community. These stories are dynamic as the people who tell them change over the course of time. These stories are told from different perspectives because each narrator often interprets the story according to his own vision, interests, experiences, and outlooks on life. Thus, every time the story was told by another person, it was actually told anew. Despite numerous and occasionally opposite interpretations, these stories are connected, independent, and together form a complete unit. This unit represents the culture and identity of the community. These stories serve as links between ancestors and their future descendants, as each generation adds something new to the stories. This addition is each generations contribution to their heritage and serves to preserve and support their identities so their memories live on forever. If their memories live on then they are never really dead.

The elders of the community feel that they are losing their land along with their identity. That is why Mooshum, one of the elders of the town, often tells of how the township of Pluto came to be. Mooshums granddaughter Evelina realizes that the loss of identity is irreversible. She feels that their identity will vanish with the town. This loss would enter me, too, she says. In The Plague of Doves Evelina states, Over time, I came to know that the sorrow was a thing that each of them covered up according to their character  my old uncle through his passionate discipline, my mother through strict kindness and cleanly order. As for my grandfather, he used the patient art of ridicule. (p. )As we can see, Evelina sees more in her ancestors than just their habits she sees that all the things they used to do would be forgotten.

The people of Pluto represent the entire nation of Native Americans who lived within the boundaries of their lands and have become displaced by white people. Native Americans generally consider white people to be thieves who not only stole their lands and rights, but also destroyed their identities.

In The Plague of Doves, when Neve Harp comes to talk with Mooshum about the past, he gets the following reply from Mooshum What you are asking is how it stolen How has this great thievery become acceptable How do we live right here beside you, knowing what we lost and how you took it (p. )

Besides, the issue of identities, The Plague of Doves also represents the relationship between the individual, history, and cultural. The culture of the Native Americans in the book by Louise Erdrich is that of the Obijiwe. As we read the story we begin to realize that such characters as Mooshum and Evelina are the characters that embody the heritage of the Obijiwe culture. When Mooshum and Evelina tell stories of the past they connect people with their heritage. This process of sharing heritage helps to preserve their culture, traditions, ancestors memories, and their identity. For them, it is the power of telling stories that give life to their culture. It is stories that preserve the history and experiences of a society (Northern Illinois University, 2010). This heritage is what forms the identity of the Native Americans, and if it not passed on to future generations the Indian culture will begin to fade away and eventually die. The death of their unique culture will lead to death of identity for the native people (Northern Illinois University, 2010).

The narrative of The Plague of Doves, and the power of the storytelling, plays an important role in the preservation of the individual and group identitys that are portrayed within the stories. Storytelling for the Native Americans is the hub of their society and culture. This hub holds their identities and the heritage of the people. The process of portrayal through story telling is vital to the preservation of culture and individual identity (Adler and McAdams, 2007).

Another novel that focuses on the importance of identity storytelling is the novel Ghost Singer by PawneeOtoe writer Anna Lee Walters. In her novel, she tells about the importance of preserving ancestral remains, cultural memory, tribal identity, and the struggle for sovereignty. Anna Walters describes the problem by telling a story about a people and their efforts to reclaim the stolen bodies and relics of their ancestors (Graber, 2000).

In Ghost Singer, a collection of various unusual items are housed in Smithsonians Museum of Natural History. This collection includes not only objects of the Indian culture, but also human body parts, such as ears, whole corpses, and bones. The scientists who gathered these items were focused on preserving the Indian in a very barbaric way. They didnt take into consideration the religious beliefs of the Indians who felt that the spirits of their ancestors whose bones were housed in the museum are not dead. These spirits are angry with researchers and seek revenge in them.

D.J. Graber (2000) states, The collection housed in the museum itself, marked by a distinctly human presence, represents not only the violent history that witnessed and allowed its acquisition but also the submerged spiritual life-worlds of Native American peoples (p. 13) as explained by George Daylight to Donald Evans, a museum staff member. Walters writes, The cultures that created these items are not dead simply because youre blind to them and deem them so These cultures manifest themselves differently now, thats all, though the word differently might be a poor choice. The people who created these things exist  theyre still here Whether or not they have any recollection of the items here being a part of their cultural inventory dont change that fact. The fact that these items are now in your possession dont change it either (p. 127).

This statement means that the power of cultural identities cannot be destroyed by time or distance. The above statement describes the main point to understanding the importance of the identities. The key point is that the spirits of the dead members of the Indian tribe are eternal. This theme developed by the author serves as an argument for presentation and focuses on the issues of identity of the Native Americans. The spirits of the dead Indians connect the living Indians with their ancestors. Graber (2000) explains that the Indian people feel that many of these spirits still seek justice. The actions of dead white people will not disappear in their power nor does the need for justice evaporate in the wake of their deeds (p. 10).

It is believed by the Indians that all the items presented in the museum collection possess energy and live on their own. The spirits of the Indians live independent of their bodies and thus, cannot be destroyed. Together these spirits create a network of very powerful energy. Through this energy the spirits of the Indians are connected with those who are physically alive. This network connects many generations. The spirits of ancestors leave a vast knowledge of heritage to their descendants.

The hearts and souls of the Native Americans are connected with an invisible thread that has been created by the spirits of their ancestors. This thread is the memories of their oral traditions, stories, identities, and culture. This connection will not vanish if future generations are able to continue this cultural heritage by preserving identities through story telling. By handing down their cultural heritage they become filled with the energy of the spirits of their ancestors who help them tell the stories that preserve the identities of the ancestors.

Like Louise Erdrich, Anna Walters effectively uses different genres and storytelling tools to engage and emphasize these ideals. It is important to mention that in The Plague of Doves the stories from the past, interpreted and retold many times, still represented the belief that cultural identities never really die out completely. The spirits of their ancestors talk to them through stories. The connection made with the ancestors continues on with each generation as something new and unique is added to every story they tell in such a way as to preserve the energy of the network and the everlasting life of their ancestors.

The stories in both novels are immortal and live their own lives, just like the spirits of their storytellers themselves. Even though they may be interpreted differently by different people, they still continue to carry on the cultural heritage and identities into immortality. The same situation is described by Walters in The Ghost Singer. They are alive despite the fact that they are remarkable only as relics. They live their own lives. They persist  and change  in relationship to ongoing social processes that are historically and geographically located. But even if they undergo certain changes, they still are very important in terms of preserving the cultural heritage and identities of the Native Americans. (p. )

Just as in the novel The Plague of Doves, Ghost Singer depicts the Native Americans as a people whose lands were stolen by white people, and whose cultural heritage and identity is at risk of dying out due to theft. The struggles of the Native American people have been repeated around the globe. The power of storytelling that Anna Walters uses in Ghost Singer is aimed at depicting the significance of identity and emphasizing their importance to Indian tribes.

The emphasis on identity is provided by Walters in her novel in the same way as it is in The Plague of Doves written by Erdrich. They both emphasize that the loss of historical roots and identity, for the Native Americans, is the same as death. Moreover, consciously rejecting the cultural heritage of the ancestors is equivalent to living life with a dead soul. Without the link between the memory, heritage, and identity of their ancestors, The Indian people are devoid of a soul. Sometimes the energy of the ancestors can save and heal. Thus, discussing these important things, Anna Walters and Louise Erdrich reveal the truth about the importance of the links between the living Indians and the dead ones and that these things are crucial to cultural identity and the cultural survival of a people.

Conclusion
We can surmise that the novel The Plague of Doves by Louise Erdrich and the novel Ghost Singer by Anna Lee Walters are two prominent works on the loss of cultural heritage and the importance of cultural identities to the Native American peoples. These novels, using the power of storytelling, emphasize the crucial importance of cultural heritage and cultural identities to the Indian people. The stories told by these two authors were interpreted differently through the years but the heritage and identities of the Native people remain intact to be passed on to the descendants of future generations.