An Ecofeminist Reading of Fleur and Lulu in Louise Erdrich’s Novel Tracks

Abstract

Tracks by Louise Erdrich is a novel dealing with the struggles of Native Americansat the beginning of the twentieth century, but within that broader frame—it alsospeaks out about the connection between the colonial oppression of nature and thesubjugation of women. Although some ecocritical and ecofeminist readings of thenovel, especially relating to Fleur Pillager, are available, not much has been writtenon the character of Lulu Nanapush as presented in Tracks. Therefore, this articleanalyses Fleur Pillager and Lulu Nanapush to discover how the tenets of ecofeminismare implemented in the novel. The research relies on the theories of differentecofeminist and postcolonial authors. After establishing the colonial background ofconjoined oppression of women and nature, the article focuses on how Fleur embodiesand protects nature, while Lulu begins to lose her connection to nature dueto her colonial background. Thus, strategic essentialism of the kind could be understoodas having been implemented with the aim of underlining the exploitation ofNative American women by settler colonizers, as well as the eradication of nature.