Decolonizing the Body

<p>The prevailing narrative about California’s history, and in specific the way that it discusses the Spanish Colonial system and the Gold Rush, glosses over the genocide of her indigenous inhabitants and the oppression experienced by those who survived these historical traumas. By focusing on the works of three indigenous poets (Deborah Miranda, Natalie Diaz, and Tommy Pico) who were born in Southern California and whose indigenous history predates White Settler Colonialism in this state, we can gain a fuller picture about the truth of California’s past. Through the lens of Indigenous Queer Theory, we can understand how these three Queer Indigenous Writers have sought to engage with their histories and the ways that Queer bodies have intersected with these histories and also with the contemporary world. This article will make use of relevant details from current events and the past so that the reader can understand how these works of literature engage with American and European literary traditions. By doing so, they will gain a broader idea about how their stories are a part of the American story and, consequently, will provide the reader with a more nuanced perspective about what it means to be Queer and Indigenous in the United States.</p>

Name thesis:degree_name

Master of Arts (MA)

Level thesis:degree_level

Thesis

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

English

Year dc:date.available

2021

Author dc:creator

• Miess, Daniel

Contributors dc:contributor

• Rei Magosaki, Ph.D.
• Ian Barnard, Ph.D.
• Brian Glaser, Ph.D.

• Queer Theory
• Poetry
• Indigenous
• Native American
• California
• Literature in English, North America

Repository record dc:identifier

https://digitalcommons.chapman.edu/english_theses/16

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:digitalcommons.chapman.edu:english_theses-1019