I “They took my dignity and my pride. My spirit withered, but never died.” Helen B. Williams (from poem ‘Slavery’s DNA’) For my grandmother, my ancestors, my family and all sacred lands. II TABLE OF CONTENTS Acknowledgements .................................................................................................. I Abstract .................................................................................................................. II 1. Introduction ........................................................................................................ 1 Structure of Thesis ............................................................................................... 5 2. Methodology ...................................................................................................... 6 Methods ............................................................................................................... 7 3. Contextual Reality of Ethnic & Cultural Identities in Louisiana ................... 11 Native Nations ................................................................................................... 12 African Descendants .......................................................................................... 15 Louisiana Cajun ................................................................................................. 16 Creoles of Color ................................................................................................. 17 Black Natives ..................................................................................................... 18 4. An Overview of Storytelling & Resistance ...................................................... 24 West African Oral Tradition ............................................................................... 25 Griot .................................................................................................................. 26 African Storytelling Form & Framework ............................................................ 28 Black Oral Tradition in the Deep South .............................................................. 30 Spiritual Traditions & Folklore .......................................................................... 33 Storytelling in Louisiana .................................................................................... 35 Tall Tale............................................................................................................. 36 Belief Legend ..................................................................................................... 37 Joke ................................................................................................................... 38 Historical Legend ............................................................................................... 38 Trickster Tales .................................................................................................. 39 Native Storytelling ............................................................................................. 41 Native Traditions of Storying Land .................................................................... 43 Identity of Land & Place .................................................................................... 45 III 5. Threats to Sacred Lands ............................................................................... 47 Bayous ............................................................................................................. 48 Congo Square ................................................................................................... 53 6. Biographies .................................................................................................... 60 7. Data Analysis ................................................................................................. 69 Theme 1: Storytelling ...................................................................................... 69 Oral Tradition ................................................................................................. 69 Traditional Knowledge .................................................................................... 71 Cultural Continuity in Folklore ....................................................................... 73 Performing Identity ......................................................................................... 76 Theme 2: Sacred Lands .................................................................................... 80 Spirituality ....................................................................................................... 81 Historical Trauma & Land ............................................................................... 83 Protecting the Bayous ...................................................................................... 88 Protecting Congo Square ................................................................................ 92 Theme 3: Resistance ........................................................................................ 94 At Stake ........................................................................................................... 94 Acts of Resistance ............................................................................................ 99 Ancestral Power ............................................................................................ 102 Theme 4: Counter Narratives ......................................................................... 104 8. Conclusion ................................................................................................... 110 References ..................................................................................................... 113 IV Acknowledgments First and foremost, I would like to thank the land and people of Sápmi for embracing me, taking care of me and supporting me for the last two years. Guovdageaidnu is a special and sacred place, and I am honored to have gained great knowledge and understanding from this community. I would like to humbly thank my ancestors for engaging, inspiring and guiding me throughout this entire process. I would like to honor the land of Louisiana, the Bayous and Congo Square for the protection and vitality they afford all peoples. I would like to thank my grandmother for planting the seed in me to seek and cultivate a connection with the place she holds so dear. I thank and honor my mother for continuously emotionally, mentally, and spiritually supporting me from halfway across the world. It is impossible to express in words how inspired and influenced I am by your spirit and everything you do. I am immensely grateful to the seven participants for allowing me to include their powerful voices and perspectives in this body of work. My research would also not be possible without the immense support of my dear sister friend Elizabeth, who opened her doors, arms and heart to me in Louisiana by welcoming me into her home with precious Mena. Charlie, thank you for trusting me to define my own research path and encouraging me to bring myself into this research. Your support has allowed me to believe in my abilities more than I ever have before. I could not have dreamt of a better advisor. Thank you, Lia, for always keeping us on track, focused and clear. Torkel thank you for leading this special program with sincerity, humor and love. Liv Inger, you are such an inspiration as a journalist, an educator and as a powerful wombyn. Thank you for being our mother away from home. To my new sisters, Susanna and Saara, I have no words. You have filled these last two years with so much laughter and nurturance. I have experienced more emotional growth than I was prepared for. Susanna, the wisdom and insight from our talks have helped me evolve more than you know. I would like to thank the entire staff at Sámi Allaskuvla. And last but not least, to Joumas, I am so grateful for you all. You are my dream class. Inga, thank you for your infectious laugh. Thank you, Nils Johan for sharing my humor and bringing us to painful laughter. Johan Ante, thank you for sharing your beautiful artistic gifts and voice to V lift our spirits. Inga Marja, thank you for inspiring me with your strength and courage. You truly are a wonder wombyn! Inti, thank you for demonstrating perseverance and fortitude. I would also like to thank Fernando for the stunning images of Congo Square and all of the friends and relatives I met in Louisiana who made my time there deeply memorable. Abstract Grounded in Indigenous research methodologies, this thesis explores the ways in which storytelling and resistance interrelate in Louisiana. Through delving into the historicity and cultural continuity of storytelling, as well as interviews with seven influential storytellers, four themes were uncovered; storytelling, sacred land, resistance and counter-narratives. The historical and cultural contexts of multiple ethnic identities in Louisiana is discussed, however this research is primarily informed by Black and Native storytelling. The findings demonstrate the relevance of protecting sacred lands, such as the Bayous and Congo Square, as they nurture oral tradition and histories of resistance in Louisiana. Further, the data analysis illustrates that storytelling and resistance coexist through the reclamation of silenced histories and cultural traditions cultivated by these sacred lands. VI Čoahkkáigeassu Vuođuštuvvon álgoálbmotmetodologiijain, dát masterbargu guorahallá