The Black Indian in American Literature

the long version

The first book-length study of the figure of the black Indian in American Literature, this project explores themes of nation, culture, and performativity. Moving from the Post-Independence period to the Contemporary era, Keely Byars-Nichols examines the works of six key authors: John Marrant, Herman Melville, Elizabeth Stoddard, William Faulkner, Toni Morrison, and Leslie Marmon Silko. As often as their characters reinforce or are subjected to simplistic representations, they use their multiple rooted identities to gain freedom and assert agency. By examining both canonical and little-known primary texts, Byars-Nichols re-centers a typically marginalized racial group in a way that challenges stereotypes and conventional ways of thinking about race and culture, providing valuable context for readers interested in the overlap between African American, Native American, and Multicultural Studies.