Native Knowledge and Identity in Cole’s Na Viro

Elizabeth Thompson

Dr. Ellis

EN 376

18 September 2023

Native Knowledge and Identity in Cole’s Na Viro

The similarity between Thraean and Pasifika cultures in Na Viro emphasize the repeated threat of colonization. Tia bonds with Sotrakkar because she can identify with his value for harmony and nature amid the threat of human disruption. Her own home has suffered the effects of colonization and climate change, so she can understand Sotrakkar’s worry over Dani’s actions. Meanwhile, Dani loses her identification with Pasifika culture through her estrangement with her daughters, causing her to lack empathy for the Thraean’s situation.

            Thraean culture reflects Tia’s Pasifika culture to mirror the threat of colonization. Pawta resembles a drua, the respect for the divine harmony of the Tijen whirlpool reflects Tia’s respect for the balance of the ocean, and the use of native language portrays how cultural knowledge is used in coherence with environment to achieve success. When the probe names the whirlpool, Tia notices it gets translated to “Na Viro,” a Fijian word, instead of “Tijen” because English is not nuanced enough to describe it (Cole 249-250). This portrays how native cultures are localized to their environments. When colonial language is imposed, it removes the cultural ability to conceptualize environmental changes or conditions. Because the space environment of Thrae resembles the oceanic environment of the Namu Island, Fijian language is more equipped to support understanding of Thrae concepts than English.

            Dani’s disconnect with Pasifika culture prevents her from successfully using Thraean technology. Instead of talking to Pawta and treating it as living like Tia and Sotrakkar, Dani imposes her own way of navigating on it by rerouting its pathways, compromising its systems, and brutally cutting out some live conduits (Cole 296). She refuses to empathize or learn from native knowledge better suited for navigating Thraean technology and environment to her detriment. This may stem from a disconnect from Pasifika culture reflected in her struggle with Tia over the vatu loa(Cole 322). Although Dani is from Namu Island, she left it to complete her missions in space. It is no longer a home for her, and the effects of climate change and colonization on the island are no longer as relevant to her. She does not navigate like Tia with respect to the natural environment of space because she does not have a connection to the ocean. Dani’s struggle for and loss of the vatu loa could be interpreted as an estrangement of her origins and loss of Pasifika identity through her colonizing acts.

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