Layli Long Soldier is an American poet and writer known for her expressive and intricate work. Her collections of poems, WHEREAS, is an exploration into language, place and identity. WHEREAS is rooted in her experiences as an Oglala Lakota person, and speaks to her people's history of displacement and resilience.
The collection looks at history and identity through the lens of storytelling. In WHEREAS, Long Soldier examines the power and complex nature of language and how it is used to both oppress and empower. By breaking apart traditional song-like language and prose, she creates her own style that plays with convention. She juxtaposes Native American views of time and history with Western narratives, creating a new way of looking at the world.
Long Soldier engages in critical conversations about the role of language in America and how it has been used to displace and exclude Native Americans. WHEREAS speaks to the devastating effects of federal laws, treaties and broken promises on indigenous peoples’ lives. Through her poetry and prose, Long Soldier speaks to the complexities and injustices of the past and present.
The collection of poems also serves as a larger exploration of identity. WHEREAS looks at what it means to be native in a land where you often feel disconnected from the place and the people. Long Soldier reflects on the displacement of her people, her own identity and her relationships with family and friends. She wrestles with ideas of belonging, home and familiarity and uses language as a way to push back against the forces that have created a world of limbo and isolation.
WHEREAS is a skillfully crafted exploration into language, memory, place and identity. By blending traditional Lakota forms of storytelling with her own style of language, Long Soldier creates a unique and powerful narrative. Through the voices of the past, present and future, she speaks to the plight of indigenous people in America and challenges the definition of identity. Long Soldier’s poetry and prose in WHEREAS is a powerful reminder of the resilience of Native Americans and the power of language.
