Crisis of Identity in George Ryga's "Indian"

Abstract

Currently, Canadian literature occupies a prominent position on the world literary map, but its thousand-year history is strongly based in indigenous literature, as the aboriginals was the first one to settle in Canada. Then, as time went on, Canadian writing increasingly drifted away from it.The literature of its colonies, such as French and British, as well as Canadian literature, began to cast a shadow. To record their culture and identity loss as a result of colonialism Indigenous writing also began to openly proclaim the colonial masters' methodical and calculated tactics to change the natives' culture and identity. The prevalence of a diverse range of national and ethnic cultures and subcultures complicates the representation of Canadian literature. As a result, intercultural disputes among people and its ramifications are a prevalent theme in Canadian literature. As a result, Aboriginal playwrights were able to maintain their traditional beliefs, cultural practises, and languages by creating and presenting dramas. It aided them in reclaiming their Aboriginal identity and instilling pride in their heritage. In this way how George Ryga’s “Indian” through the character Indian depicts the longing and need for an identity is presented.