T.

Prabhu
PhD Scholar
Department of English
University of Madras
Tholkappiyar Campus
Chennai-600 005

Declaration

I declare that the thesis titled “‘Memory’, ‘History’ and ‘Identity’: Restoration of

Native Sensibility in the Indigenous Epistemology” submitted by me for the award of

the degree of Doctor of Philosophy, is the record of research work originally carried out by

me from January 2009 to June 2013 under the guidance and supervision of Dr.S.Armstrong,

Professor and Head, Department of English, University of Madras, and that the thesis has

not been submitted either wholly or in parts for the award of any previous degree, diploma,

associateship, fellowship or any other similar title in this or any other university or similar

institution of higher learning.

Place: Chennai Signature of the Candidate

Date:
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Acknowledgement

The successful completion of my doctoral dissertation was made possible through the good

will of many kind souls. I wish to record my sincere gratitude to all of them for their love and

understanding. First, I would like to acknowledge my profound indebtedness to my dissertation

supervisor Dr. S.Armstrong, Prof. and Head, Department of English, University of Madras. I owe

much to his love and kindness. I will remain forever indebted for his patience and for his words of

wisdom. Trusting in my ability to produce ‘well written’ research work, he gave me liberty in many

ways during my writing of this research work. His critical insight, expertise in Indigenous studies

and clarity in research approach helped me experience the moment of reckoning many times during

the period of research. I will remain beholden to him for those great moments. During this period of

research I have come to realise that the best way to establish my earnest gratefulness is to further my

research interest, especially in the areas related to the Indigenous peoples of Tamil Nadu. I promise

Sir, I will.

Next I would like t o express my sincere gratitude t o Dr.R.Azhagarasan and

Dr.D.Venkataramanan of the Department of English, University of Madras. What I could not learn

in libraries and text books, I learnt over a cup of tea by just standing next to them listening to their

conversations. These conversations have helped me realise my position in the society as a researcher.

I owe much to their care and affection throughout my period of research.

Special thanks to Ms. Supala Pandiarajan of the Department of English, University of Madras.

Every time I faced a problem in citation and methodology, she helped find an answer. Thanks mam.

I wish to record my profound gratitude to Dr.Anitha Balakrishnan, Associate Professor,

Department of English, Queen Marys College, Chennai. As a member of my doctoral committee, her

constructive criticism has enhanced the clarity of this dissertation.

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I would like to express my sincere gratitude to Dr. Jay Hansford Vest, Professor of American

Indian Studies, University of North Carolina, Pembroke, US for his enthusiastic listening to my

research interests, and guidance and critical insights. I thank him for his inspirational expressions of

Native wisdom, and for his words of assurances and appreciation.

I would like to record my indebtedness to Prof.K.Balamurugan, Department of History,

Presidency College, Chennai, and Gowthaman, Senior Advocate, Madras High Court, Chennai for

their scholarly insights and critical inputs. If it is not for the manuscripts they were kind enough to

share with me, this research would not have seen the light of the day.

I thank all the office staffs of the Department of English for their kind cooperation throughout

my period of research.

I thank all my friends who have stood by me forever and a day.

I thank my parents for believing in me. Thanks amma and appa, for everything.
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Note on Documentation

The current dissertation follows the Seventh Edition of the MLA Handbook for Writers of

Research Papers, for its in-text citations as well as bibliographical details.

Abbreviations

DALIT SUBALTERN EMERGENCE. Dalit Subaltern Emergence in Religio-Cultural

Subjectivity: Iyothee Thassar’s Emancipatory

Buddhism (2007)

RELIGION AS EMANCIPATORY IDENTITY. Religion as Emancipatory Identity: Buddhist

Movement Among the Tamils under Colonialism

(1998)

“Different Knowings” “Different Knowings and the Indigenous

Humanities.” (2012)

THE HISTORY. History of the Ojebway Indians with Especial

Reference to Their Conversion to Christianity

(1861)
 Table of Contents
Page No.
Acknowledgement i
Note on Documentation and List of Abbreviations iii
Thesis Abstract 1
Organisation of the Dissertation 4

Chapter I Theorizing ‘Memory’, ‘History’ and ‘Identity’of the Indigenous

Communities: An Introduction 8
Indigenous Identity 12
Land and the Indigenous Identity 18
Indigenous Peoples and Identity Crisis 22
Indigenous Epistemology 25
\ History of/by Indigenous Peoples 29
Theory and/by Indigenous Peoples 32
Theorizing Indigenous Memory 33

Chapter II Indigenous People of Australia, Canada, US and Tamil Nadu (India):

A Study of their (Hi)story 40

Part I- Pre Colonial Past of the Indigenous Peoples 41

Aborigines of the Pre-Colonial Australia 44
Dreamtime and the Aborigines of the Pre-Colonial Australia 47
Sangam and Thinai as the Cultural Representations of the
Original Inhabitants of Thamizhagam 51
Pre-Colonial Native Peoples of US and Canada 56
The Story of Confederacy of Five Nations and the Tree of Great Peace 59
Coyote and the Creation Accounts of the
Pre-Colonial Native People of US and Canada 61

Part II- Colonial Encounters 69

“Discovery” of Australia and the Aboriginals 69
Infliction of violence - on the body and the soul of the
Australian Aboriginals 71
Loss of the land is loss of lives: Massacre of Native
American Lives and Lifestyle 76
Aryan Invasion of the Tamil Indigenous Memory 81

Part III Aftermaths of Colonialism 85

‘Displacement’ and the Indigenous Peoples 86
‘Dispossession’ and the Indigenous Peoples 89
‘Domination’ and the Indigenous Peoples 92
‘Oppression and Subjugation’ and the Indigenous Peoples 94
‘Social Exclusion’ of the Indigenous Peoples 98

Chapter III Indoctrination, Assimilation and Acculturation:

A Comparative Discourse Analysis of the Colonial Rhetoric 101
Discourse Analysis 102
Language of Binary Opposition in the Colonial Rhetoric 106
Language of Hierarchy in the Colonial Rhetoric 110
Language of Denial in the Colonial Rhetoric 114
Language of Animosity in the Colonial Rhetoric 119
Language of Patronizing in the Colonial Rhetoric 123