Volume VI Special Issue VI September 2026

Name of Author : Ms. Christy Joseph, Dr. Alex E.R

Title of the paper : Cultural Decolonization and Cultural Authority: Reclamation of Indigenous Identity in the Select Poems of Gabriel Okara and Okot PBitek

Abstract: Indigenous Literature encompasses the literary works which serve as the creative expressions of cultures, lived experiences and worldviews of indigenous communities. It is subjective, unique and challenges the minority status accorded by Eurocentrism. This paper examines the concepts of cultural decolonization and cultural authority with reference to the works of Gabriel Okara and Okot pBitek. It argues that colonialism extended beyond political domination to establish Eurocentric cultural hegemony that marginalized indigenous identities, languages, and epistemologies. In response, both poets employ literature as a powerful medium to reclaim the authority of indigenous communities to represent their own histories, traditions, and worldviews. Through the incorporation of African oral traditions, indigenous imagery, culturally specific idioms, rhythms, and symbolic landscapes, Okara and pBitek transform the English language into a vehicle for authentic African literary expression. Drawing upon the theoretical perspectives of cultural decolonization and postcolonial criticism, this study demonstrates how their poetry challenges colonial representations, and restores indigenous cultural authority. Gabriel Okara and Okot pBitek employ indigenous aesthetics, oral traditions, and African epistemologies to dismantle colonial cultural hierarchies and reclaim cultural authority, thereby positioning their poetry as a modern continuation of African Indigenous Literature and Orature.

Keywords : Indigenous Literature, Orature, Cultural Decolonization, Cultural Authority, Communal Memory

DOI :

Page Number : 284-288