Ceremony --Leslie Marmon Silko
Ceremony
Leslie Marmon Silko
Author Background
Silko was born in Albuquerque, New Mexico in 1948.
She is of Laguna Pueblo, Mexican, and Anglo ancestry.
In 1969 she received a Bachelor’s degree in English from the University of New Mexico.
Literary Works
Silko’s writing often reflects the pain that she lived with as someone of mixed blood living in Laguna society.
Silko further reveals that her position marked her as different from and not fully accepted by the full blooded Laguna Pueblo or white people.
She indicates, “I am of mixed-breed ancestry, but what I know is Laguna” (Velie 106).
Ceremony
While living in Alaska in the mid 1970s, Silko wrote Ceremony.
It was published in 1977 and was one of the first published novels by an American Indian women.
Draws on personal experience especially narrative techniques that emphasize community and the tradition of oral storytelling.
Historical Context
It wasn’t until the 1960s and early 1970s that Native American authors become prominent within the literary scene.
It is at this time period that multicultural American authors began to achieve literary success.
Ceremony is set on the Laguna Pueblo reservation where Silko grew up.
Historical Context Cont…
Pueblo Indians refers to certain tribes including Hopi, Zuni, and Laguna.
The reservation lies between Albuquerque and Los Alamos, New Mexico.
The Pueblo Indians were colonized by the Spanish in the 16th century, they then became part of Mexico in the 1800s, and eventually the US took control of their territory.
Critique of Ceremony
Silko’s work is both critically acclaimed and harshly criticized.
She is criticized by tribe members and Native American scholars for revealing many tribal secrets (such as stories/myths, etc.)
Discussion Questions
Consider a story you have heard that has impacted your own life/identity. Have you been able to utilize such stories in school?
What are the consequences of using/not using such stories?
What are the implications of reiterating such stories, do they aid or harm identity and cultural connections?