- Hybridity and Identity in Leslie Marmon Silko’s Ceremony

Abstract

This paper examines the intricate interplay between mixed-race identity and colonial influence in shaping the protagonist’s journey toward cultural reconciliation in Leslie Marmon Silko’s Ceremony. Through the character of Tayo—a young man of mixed Indigenous and white heritage—the novel explores the psychological and spiritual fragmentation caused by colonial oppression, war trauma, and cultural alienation. Drawing on postcolonial theory and Indigenous epistemologies, the study analyzes how hybridity becomes both a source of internal conflict and a pathway to healing. Tayo’s journey reflects a broader narrative of reclaiming Indigenous identity through storytelling, land connection, and ceremonial practices. Ultimately, the paper argues that Silko uses hybridity not as a dilution of culture, but as a dynamic space for resistance, renewal, and the reimagining of Native identity in a postcolonial world.