Indigeneity and Cultural Memory in Wendy Rose’s Bone Dance
Indigeneity and Cultural Memory in Wendy Rose’s Bone Dance

Summary/Abstract: Celebrated Hopi and Miwok poet Wendy Rose (born in 1948) studied Anthropology and has defined herself as a feminist writer from the beginning of her literary career. In her work, Rose explores her Indigenous identity, while affirming the American Indian continuance on the territory of the United States. This essay traces illustrations of cultural memory in Wendy Rose’s Bone Dance, a collection of poems published in 1994. Examining poems selected from eight different volumes featured in the collection, I argue that, in representing Indigeneity and engaging cultural memory, Rose prioritizes Native women’s experience, objects to the commodification of human remains, rewrites historical events such as the Wounded Knee Massacre, proposes dialogues with tribal ancestors, and continues the traditional practices of singing, dancing, praying and storytelling. The goal of this essay is also to make Rose’s work better known in Europe.

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