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Call for Papers: Special Issue
Future of Global Indigenous Literature and Arts

Ed. Dr Pragya Shukla Dept of English Studies, Central University of Jharkhand, India. Dr. Pragya Shukla is an Assistant Professor in the Department of English Studies at the Central University of Jharkhand. Her areas of interest include Gender Studies and Tribal Literature. Her doctoral thesis focused on “A Comparative Study of the Fictional Works of Githa Hariharan and Shashi Deshpande.” In addition to research papers, she is also involved in translation and writing poetry and short stories. She was a Principal Investigator in an ICSSR Funded Minor Research Project. Email: pragya.shukla@cuj.ac.in

“ Those who tread barefoot
in quiet procession towards the forests
never proclaim
themselves as Adivasis.”
–Anuj Lugun

The Theme

In his article, “Indigenous Poetics and Transcultural Ecologies,” Stuart Cooke argues that Indigenous knowledge systems should be viewed “not as part of a reactionary anti-modern form of Romanticism, but as an alternative, syncretic understanding of the contemporary, in which the past is partner to the present in the formation of future possibility” (Cooke, 2018). This perspective sparks a critical examination of how Indigenous poetics can serve as dynamic interfaces between cultural heritage and contemporary socio-political landscapes and challenge the constraints of Western literary traditions.

Indigenous literature and arts present ancestral knowledge and wisdom in contemporary reimagined contexts supporting the interdependence between humans and nature for sustainability and a “balance of nature” (Wilson, 1992). Indigenous writings tend to be cultural conversations of multiple voices and languages, where writers try to meditate, comprehend, and imbibe the residual sounds, textures, and voices inherited from their ancestors and the nonhuman world. Messages come to them from various planes—they pause, reflect, and integrate them all in their writings. In this process, they try to give meaning to a self that transcends hyperbolic individualism and disrupts the dominance of individualism within knowledge-making spaces. They share and celebrate the imagination of their community and string together the spirit of their past, present, and future. The transformative power of Indigenous poetics reveals their potential to shape future narratives and cultural understandings. In this, storytelling becomes a radical tool for Indigenous writers to deconstruct dominant discourses and advocate for social justice. Dillon finds “alternative histories… a hallmark of Native storytelling tradition, while viewing time as pasts, presents, and futures that flow together like currents in a navigable stream is central to Native epistemologies’’ (Dillon, 2016).

As a resistive mechanism, Indigenous literature reflects tribal pasts within current market economies, which demand forced assimilation and fluid identity formation caused by globalization. This resistance leads to the construction of hybridized identities that honour ancestral heritage while engaging with modern realities and forming new identities. By challenging dominant discourses, syncretism works as cultural resistance and reclamation. Allen calls it a “syncretic story of the Fourth World performed as it were part of an idealized tradition of Indigenous storytelling, an “authorless” communal narrative of global significance”. (Allen, 2002).

The amplification of Indigenous voices on a global scale has become necessary for promoting inclusiveness and equitability and addressing gender violence. What Anderson et al. write in the Canadian context can be applied globally: “As we work to put an end to the racialized and sexualized violence that threatens Indigenous women and girls, Indigenous literature must become part of the informed national dialogue.” Indigenous literature can challenge victim-blaming narratives and present powerful counternarratives in honour of the strength and resilience of Indigenous women. Transnational collaborations among Indigenous writers can further strengthen these efforts. Thus, translation, which is “a vector of power, resistance, rebellion, and even revolution,” becomes a necessary act of resistance to cultural erasure and solidarity among Indigenous peoples. (Tymoczko, 2010)

Indigenous poetics functions in line with the United Nations’ 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, particularly in areas such as Gender Equality, Life on Land, Climate Action, and Reduced Inequalities. Danika Medak-Saltzman writes that ‘‘Indigenous futurist work can and does also explore a variety of dystopian possibilities, which allows for critical contemplation about the dangerous ‘what ifs’ we might face and, more pragmatically, can aid us in our efforts to imagine our way out of our present dystopic moment to call forth better futures’’ (Medak-Saltzman, 2017). She notes how Indigenous science fiction works empower women and nonhuman protagonists. Whyte highlights a unique Indigenous approach to the issue of climate change: “Instead of dread of an impending crisis, Indigenous approaches to climate change are motivated through dialogic narratives with descendants and ancestors”. (Whyte, 2018)

All these points attest to the global relevance and applicability of Indigenous wisdom in addressing pressing environmental and social issues (UN, 2015). Indigenous literature and arts inspire hope and foster a more inclusive and equitable world through visions for alternative futures.

We welcome authors to explore and engage with the following topics:

Suggested Areas and topics:

1. Transcultural Ecologies in Indigenous Literature and Arts:

• Ancestral Wisdom in Contemporary Contexts
• Narrative Strategies and Ecological Awareness
• Ecocriticism and Indigenous Perspectives
• Case Studies of Indigenous Environmental Advocacy Indigenous Cosmologies and Environmental Ethics
• Intersection of Ecology and Identity
• Innovative Literary Forms and Environmental Discourse

2. Syncretism in Indigenous Literature and Arts:

• Interweaving Tribal Past and Contemporary Narratives
• Resisting Forced Assimilation
• Constructing Hybrid Identities
• Cultural Syncretism and Aesthetic Innovation
• Political and Cultural Syncretism
• Narrative Strategies for Cultural Reclamation

3. Cultural Reclamation in Indigenous Literature and Arts:

• Storytelling as a Radical Tool: Deconstructing Dominant Discourses
• Advocacy for Social Justice: Promoting Cultural Reclamation
• Narrative Strategies for Reclaiming Ancestral Knowledge
• Impact of Cultural Reclamation on Identity

4. Global Indigenous Voices in Indigenous Literature and Arts:

• Amplification of Indigenous Voices: Promoting Inclusiveness and Equitability
• Challenging Global Hegemonies: Transnational Collaborations and Solidarity
• Representation and Misrepresentation: Decolonial Indigenous Narratives
• Digital Platforms and New Strategies
• Translation as Resistance to Cultural Erasure

5. Sustainability and Indigenous Aesthetics in Indigenous Literature and Arts:

• Gender Equality
• Life on Land
• Climate Action
• Reduced Inequalities

6. Future Visions:

• Transformative Power of Indigenous Poetics: Future of Storytelling
• Shaping Future Narratives in both Indigenous and non-Indigenous contexts
• Cultural Understandings and Cross-cultural Dialogue
• New Paradigms for Coexistence: Sustainability in a Globalized World
• Futuristic Storytelling Techniques
• Visionary Voices: Emerging Poets of Our Times

Submission:

• Submission Deadline: March 31, 2025.
• Publication Model: Continuous Publication
• Call for Papers: https://rupkatha.com/cfp-indigenous-2025
• Before submitting any article, read the CFP and the Submission Guidelines very carefully: https://rupkatha.com/submissionguidelines.php
• Submit your paper here>>
• For queries, write to submission@rupkatha.com

[*Papers in the General Areas are not invited for this issue. Authors are asked not to submit any paper in any general area.]

References
Allen, C. (2002). Blood Narrative: Indigenous Identity in American Indian and Maori Literary and Activist Texts. Duke University Press.
Anderson, B. &  Pete, S. & Kubik, W. & Rucklos-Hampton, M. (2022). Indigenous Women’s Literature- The Power and Truth of our Words. (2022, July 15). University of Regina. https://socialsci.libretexts.org/@go/page/150152
Cooke, S. (2018). Indigenous Poetics and Transcultural Ecologies. Journal of Ecocriticism, 10(1), 45-62.
Dillon G (2016a) Native slipstream. In: Stratton B (ed.) The Fictions of Stephen Graham: A Critical Companion. Albuquerque, NM: University of New Mexico Press.
King, T. (2008). The Truth About Stories: A Native Narrative. University of Minnesota Press.
Medak-Saltzman, D. (2017). Coming to you from the Indigenous future: Native women, speculative film shorts, and the art of the possible. Studies in American Indian Literatures, 29(1), 139-171.
Shukla, P. (2024). Selected Poems of Anuj Lugun. Rupkatha Books. https://doi.org/10.21659/rtp01
Smith, L. T. (2021). Decolonizing Methodologies: Research and Indigenous Peoples. Zed Books.
Tymoczko, M. (2010). Translation, Resistance, Activism. Amherst: University of Massachusetts Press. https://muse.jhu.edu/book/737.
UNO. (2015). Transforming our world: the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. United Nations.
Whyte, K. P. (2018). Indigenous science (fiction) for the Anthropocene: Ancestral dystopias and fantasies of climate change crises. Environment and Planning E: Nature and Space, 1(1-2), 224-242.
Wilson, E. O. (1992). The diversity of life. Cambridge: Belknap Press of Harvard University Press.