Native American drama

Native American drama refers to theatrical works written and performed by Indigenous peoples of North America, encompassing a wide range of forms from traditional ceremonial performances to contemporary stage plays, multimedia works, and political satire. Rooted in oral storytelling traditions and communal rituals, Native drama often engages themes of identity, land, memory, survivance, and resistance to colonial narratives. While Indigenous communities have practiced performative storytelling for centuries, Native-authored written plays began to emerge publicly in the late 19th century, most notably with Gowongo Mohawk’s Wep-Ton-No-Mah (1892). The genre expanded significantly in the 20th century, with landmark contributions by playwrights such as Lynn Riggs, Hanay Geiogamah, and Tomson Highway, and continues to evolve in the 21st century through artists like Marie Clements and LeAnne Howe. Despite a growing body of published and unpublished work, Native American drama remains underrepresented in mainstream scholarship and theatrical institutions.