Affirmation of Cultural Admixture in Hunting Badger
Date
2016
Authors
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Central Department of English
Abstract
Hillerman’sHunting Badgerforegrounds the narrator’s search for hybrid
identity. He is fond of getting exposed to both the white people’s culture and the
indigenous culture of Navajo people. Though he occasionally encounters various
prejudices, aggressions, exclusionary practices, he is finally happy to live in the world
of new things where he partly gets the chance to change himself and partly an
opportunity to make a return to Navajo community. He is opposed to the isolationist
practice of Navajo community. Similarly, he is not deterred and discouraged when his
professional responsibility compels him to tread on the path of risk and hazard.
Leaphorn is also equally oriented towards his native ritual, cults and tradition while
undertaking a risky job of chasing and tracking the missing criminals. There is no
problem in accepting diversity, difference, multiplicity and heterogeneity in hundreds
of Navajo youths like Emma, Teddy and Leaphorn. They are of the opinion that the
world has the creative prospect of exploring the unseen advantages of hybrid identity
and cultural admixture. But this prospect anticipated by the narrator is dimmer and
dimmer in some corners of American society. Hillerman strongly identifies with the
Teddy’s in his emphasis on seeking hybrid identity. This research concludes that
search for cultural purity and singularity of identity breeds conflicts and antagonism.
Hence, accepting the hybrid prospect is a key to softening the voices of conflict and
chaos. Cultural admixture is whatall the youths of Navajo should welcome.
Description
Keywords
Affirmation, Cultural Admixture