A new article in Fields: Journal of Huddersfield Student Research reconsiders Leslie Marmon Silko’s Ceremony as a multifaceted exploration of trauma within Native American communities. Moving beyond conventional readings of the novel as a narrative centred solely on post-war PTSD, the article highlights Silko’s intricate portrayal of intergenerational trauma, cultural dislocation, and identity struggles, particularly those faced by mixed-heritage individuals. It explores how Silko’s non-linear narrative structure and integration of traditional Laguna Pueblo stories reflect Indigenous worldviews and act as forms of cultural preservation. The author further considers the novel’s commentary on Native American alcoholism, spiritual healing rituals, and memory as a means of recovery. Ultimately, the article argues that Ceremony offers a powerful vision of resilience and cultural reclamation, with protagonist Tayo’s healing journey mirroring a broader communal process of survival and resistance in the face of historical trauma and colonial oppression.

Ellie Croot 

Read the article here: Croot | “Every day the loss was with them.”: Disentangling the Complexities of Trauma in Leslie Marmon Silko’s Ceremony. | Fields: journal of Huddersfield student research

Student research FIELDS Native Americans Trauma American History Laguna Pueblo Alcoholism World War Two Mixed Heritage Intergenerational Trauma