Settling Unsettled Narratives:

Indigenous Identity, Memory and Resilience in Canadian Literature by Eden Robinson and Thomas King

Abstract

This research examines how indigenous identity, memory, and resilience are represented in Eden Robinson’s Monkey Beach and the Trickster series by Eden Robinson, alongside the sharp nonfiction narrative, The Inconvenient Indian by Thomas King. The aim is to compare how these authors confront colonial histories and express Indigenous self-determination. Using a comparative literary analysis of the selected texts, this study investigate narrative techniques and thematic elements. The results uncover that Robinson's incorporation of Haisla cosmology and the concept of intergenerational trauma, together with King's use of historical revisionism and satire, work together to reaffirm Indigenous voices and question colonial concoction of Canadian Indigenous Identity. This paper suggests that there should be increased focus on the combined effects of various Indigenous storytelling methods within decolonial studies. Robinson weaves Haisla cosmology and oral traditions into modern Indigenous experiences, depicting protagonists who struggle with intergenerational trauma and resilience amidst cultural discord. King employs wit, humor, irony, and historical revisionism to unveil narratives of settler colonialism, land exorcism, and the marginalization of Indigenous peoples. Collectively, both authors play a vital role in decolonial resistance and cultural resilience by reaffirming Indigenous voices, questioning colonial construct of knowing, and portrayal of a vibrant Indigenous identity.