Project description
Unveiling indigenous narratives in American fiction
American literature has seen an absence of indigenous voices in narratives of the road journey, automobiles and the environment. This has perpetuated colonial stereotypes, personifying cars while ignoring the profound relationship between humans and the natural world. With the support of Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions, the NOMECH project shines a long-overdue spotlight on late 20th century fiction by indigenous American authors, exploring how they redefine the road journey. By centring on indigenous stories that present the environment as a character in its own right, NOMECH dismantles traditional narratives and challenges stereotypes. Project outcomes, including a public-facing exhibition held both online and in person, will enrich the American literary landscape with indigenous voices and their unique perspectives.
Objective
The NOMECH project examines fiction by Indigenous American authors of the late twentieth century for literary representations of animals, automobiles, and the natural environment. NOMECH develops a novel approach to reading the road journey in American fiction (a genre which has historically excluded Indigenous writers) by centring Indigenous stories in which the environment is frequently presented as a character in and of itself, in contrast to the colonial tendency to personify the cars and ignore the living nonhuman world under the wheels. Combining approaches from literary studies and the environmental humanities, NOMECH explores the extent to which Indigenous American authors present counter-narratives to the colonial story of automobility in which human contact with the natural environment is defined by driving over it: moving from a relationship based on dominance, conquest, and subjugation to one which places more emphasis on mutually beneficial ways of living with other animals and technology.
Exploring fiction from 1960–2000 by authors such as Leslie Marmon Silko (Laguna Pueblo), David Seals (Huron), Sherman Alexie (Spokane-Coeur d’Alene), while endeavouring to uncover lesser-known Indigenous texts in the collections of KWEC—the Kim Wait/Eisenberg Native American Literature Collection (Amherst, MA), NOMECH seeks to answer the following research questions: To what extent is humanity’s relationship to the automobile reimagined in Indigenous American fiction? How did Indigenous authors challenge the stereotype of technological ineptitude without compromising on traditional relationships to the environment? And how does the symbolic reverence for Indigenous ways of life in automotive culture obscure the very real violence against such populations? The outcomes of the project include, among others, a public-facing exhibition (online and in-person) at KWEC.
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Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Programme(s)
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Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
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HORIZON.1.2 - Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA)
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Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Funding Scheme
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Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
HORIZON-TMA-MSCA-PF-EF - HORIZON TMA MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
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Call for proposal
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(opens in new window) HORIZON-MSCA-2022-PF-01
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4021 Stavanger
Norway
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