Of Service and Ceremonies: Capturing Laguna's Tribal Stories

Kat Reichert, CLA Public Information Office
December 15, 2025
cla-pio@alaska.edu

When Assistant Professor of History Mary Ludwig reflects on her scholarship, she often returns to stories: how they shape understanding, how they expose gaps in the historical record, and how they continue to guide communities through periods of upheaval. Her newest publication, “Of Service and Ceremonies: Capturing Laguna’s Tribal Stories,” appearing in Studies in American Indian Literatures (Spring/Summer 2024 issue, published fall 2025), demonstrates that commitment through a close study of Leslie Marmon Silko’s celebrated novel Ceremony.

“I think novels like Ceremony provide insight into understanding Indigenous perspectives,” Ludwig explains. “In Ceremony, the author... was essentially critiquing settler colonialism before the term was even coined.” The genre, she notes, uniquely allows Indigenous writers “to make some rather pointed critiques of society, while simultaneously informing and entertaining a broader audience who might not understand Indigenous history and values.”

Silko’s Ceremony follows Tayo, a young Laguna Pueblo veteran returning from World War II. Haunted by trauma and physically unmoored from his community, Tayo searches for healing through traditional stories, relationships, and ceremonies that bridge past and present. Like many Indigenous veterans, Tayo must reconcile service to a nation built on the dispossession of his people with the cultural practices that ultimately restore his balance.'s

Ludwig’s article contextualizes Tayo’s fictional journey alongside the real stories of Indigenous veterans such as Chester Nez, one of the original Navajo Code Talkers. Nez’s fluency in Navajo, maintained despite boarding schools where teachers denigrated his culture and language, helped develop an unbreakable military code. Yet when Nez returned home, he faced discrimination, economic hardship, and recurring nightmares from his wartime experience. Navajo Enemy Way and Holy Way ceremonies became central to his healing, restoring what Nez described as his return to “the trail of beauty.” His story, Ludwig argues, illuminates the deep historical realities Silko weaves into Ceremony, revealing a narrative in which Indigenous knowledge systems guide both personal and communal recovery.

Ludwig’s interest in these histories began early. Growing up in Texas, she encountered narrow, incomplete stories about Indigenous peoples in school. “To me, it seemed like there was a lot more to learn about Indigenous history that wasn't being told,” she recalls. That realization followed her into college. “When I attended the University of Texas, the History program there didn't teach Native American history. In order to learn about Native Americans at UT, you needed to take Anthropology classes. This lack of access made me that much more interested in thinking about the different dimensions of American History and led me to focus on Native American history.” Her search for a fuller, more accurate understanding of the past ultimately shaped her path as a historian.

Her move to Alaska strengthened those connections. “One of the elements I most appreciate about moving to Alaska is seeing the influence of Alaska Natives in this state. Their cultural and political vibrancy speaks to their resilience and the long-term efforts they have made to express and preserve their sovereignty.”

Ludwig’s teaching, like her research, is grounded in care, rigor, and reflection. Mentors who balanced high expectations with compassion guide her approach today. She hopes students leave her classes understanding that history is not distant; it is alive in the choices we make. “History illustrates the breadth of humanity. Human beings can commit horrific acts, and they can engage in acts of bravery, kindness, and selflessness,” she says. “I hope that learning the stories of historical figures might allow students to reflect on the kind of people they would like to be and the kind of historical mark they want to make.” And ultimately, she adds, “The most important part of my work is working with students. They hold our future in their hands.”

Through her scholarship and mentorship, Ludwig helps students at UAF understand the power of story—how it heals, challenges, and builds pathways forward for communities across generations. Ludwig’s publication also highlights the strength of humanities research at a university deeply connected to the communities it serves. By engaging Indigenous-authored texts and histories, UAF scholars and students help build a richer understanding of the past — one that better serves present communities and the generations yet to come.

About the UAF Department of History

The UAF Department of History offers a Bachelor of Arts in History that helps students make sense of major cultural, social, economic, and political events across time. Through courses that range from Alaska and the North American West to global and military history, students sharpen their research, writing, and critical-thinking skills while working closely with faculty mentors. Whether they study on campus or online, history majors gain tools for careers in education, law, public service, museums, and many other fields.

About Women, Gender, and Sexuality Studies at UAF

UAF’s Women, Gender, and Sexuality Studies program offers a vibrant interdisciplinary minor that invites students to examine how gender and sexuality shape everyday life, past and present. Drawing on courses from across the social sciences, humanities, and arts, WGSS encourages students to think critically about power, identity, and representation while connecting classroom learning to community issues and personal goals. It is an ideal complement to majors in history, political science, psychology, and more.