Sayet, Madeline. "Indigenizing Shakespeare Movement." Throughlines. www.throughlines.org/suite-content/indigenizing-shakespeare-movement [Date accessed].

Indigenizing Shakespeare Movement

A brief overview of the movement and the productions that defined it.

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Madeline Sayet
Arizona State University

Shakespeare is at its best when everyone is allowed to decide what interests them and how to interpret it through their own perspectives. Many Native artists have found ways to reimagine Shakespeare, bridging communities to illustrate the importance of Indigenous language revitalization, Native art, and storytelling. Whether including Indigenous languages or adapting works to include a Native writer’s voice in English, these Shakespeare productions can only be built in Native-empowered spaces. Despite the original colonial intentions that forced Shakespeare on Native peoples, these productions say our languages are equal to or more complicated than Shakespeare’s.

Further learning

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A brief history of Indian policy

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Indigenous Shakespeares

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