I think Hogan considers Oklahoma, where her father's family lives, to be her true home she
loves. In the poem she mentions living on Oklahoma. Her family routes even date a ways back in
Oklahoma in her poem she says "She chewed up and spit into my fathers mouth" (pg. 491) "when
he was an infant" (pg. 491) This means she is the third generation of her family from Oklahoma. I
think "Heritage" is a reflection of her love for the history, oral tradition, and landscape of the
Chickasaw land in Oklahoma. This is passed down by her family members. Hogan uses great
imagery that is at earthy and displays the wrath of nature. She refers to the Dust Bowl by
mentioning "begging for rain". This helps gives the a mental picture of the Dust Bowl, with the
imagery she uses. Hogan recollects her childhood in poems that reveal strong psychological and
physical consciousness of her Cherokee heritage. Linda Hogan, is a Chickasaw Native American
All of these elements have had an impact upon Hogan. She began her writing career as a
poet, and, "Heritage", suggests the concerns dealing with themes of family and connecting and of
the nature of "home" for Native Americans.
Hogan has a long and passionate interest in the environment and with wildlife. She is at
home in the natural world, in the Native world, and in the literary world. Her interests in tradition,
in the environment and in wildlife pervade her poetry and her fiction. She "learned to fear silence,"
(pg.491) and "learned to kill a snake" (pg.491).
Hogan's Heritage describes, in addition to the grandmother's and her grandfather's advice,
and advice from other family members as well. In Heritage, however, the mention of the other
family members seems to set the stage for Hogan's future lessons concerning the need to change,
but still hold onto heritage. She likes her heritage ...