Traumatic Memory and the Role of Tradition in Reclaiming Identity: A Study of Selected Poems for Wendy Rose

Wendy rose is one of the well-known contemporary native american poets who in her poetry evokes the collective traumatic memories of tragic events which had been experienced by her people like displacement, massacres, the persecution of both women and nature and the loss of identity. however, rose attempts to invoke the memories of their golden days of past, cultures, traditions, tribal identity and myths by drawing upon the strategy of passing on oral history which becomes not only a means of recording culture but also to give them a sense of identity and belonging. in this way, rose’s poetry highlights the dual role of memory in both healing and wounding people.