This Place: 150 Years Retold

 

From the Publisher:

Explore the past 150 years through the eyes of Indigenous creators in this groundbreaking graphic novel anthology. Beautifully illustrated, these stories are an emotional and enlightening journey through Indigenous wonderworks, psychic battles, and time travel. See how Indigenous peoples have survived a post-apocalyptic world since Contact.

My Thoughts:

This anthology is a kick in the teeth as atrocity after atrocity towards the Canadian First Nation people are documented in graphic form through "hero" stories told in between stark timelines of legal and government sponsored efforts to eradicate, re-educate, diminish, and euthanize Indigenous people over the past century. I was actually looking forward to the last story that takes place in the future. As an Indigenous reader and teacher, surely, these Indigenous artists and writers can imagine a story of survivance in the future that honors the atrocities in the past and uplifts the idea that survivance is not just about still being here but also about hope. Unfortunately, that was not the case. I can understand the perspective, I just hoped it was not so.