Abstract: Leslie Marmon Silko， a contemporary American Indian writer， has evolved her subject from simple nationalism to syncretism. The subject transition in her works is reflected clearly in her view of salvation that no longer just focuses on the issues of her own aboriginal culture but more on the living crises of other nations and countries. Meanwhile， Silko infuses other cultures and elements such as Gnosticism into her works to explore the possibility of her syncretism. In her third novel， Gardens in the Dunes， Silko， inspired by Gnosticism， finds the correspondence between American Indian culture and Gnosticism， through which she transforms Gnosticism into the spirit of salvation so as to achieve her assumption of worldwide syncretism.

Key words: Leslie Marmon Silko, Indian culture, Gnosticism, syncretism, Gardens in the Dunes