Have you ever wondered, should it occur in your lifetime, what would happen if you survived Armageddon? As the Earth crumbles at your feet, death is nigh and doom imminent — yet you somehow live to tell the tale. What then?
I had never been inclined toward such contemplations until I read the words of Alicia Elliot, who, in the foreword of This Place: 150 Years Retold, writes: “As Indigenous people, we all live in a post-apocalyptic world. The world as we knew it ended the moment colonialism started to creep across these lands.”
Indeed, there exist people who have survived, people who had their world irrevocably altered and have had to live life in the aftermath — the Indigenous peoples of Canada.
This particular notion of a life after doomsday gripped my mind and accompanied me through every multichromatic page of this work. The book constantly reminded me of how insurmountable the situation for Indigenous peoples was and how they fought to overcome it regardless.
This Place: 150 Years Retold is a graphic novel collection of 10 works, written and illustrated by 21 contributors, that aims to shed light on the Indigenous tales eclipsed by the history written by ‘victorious’ colonials.
Spanning 150 years and nearly 300 pages, this collective work of art tells the stories of wise chiefs, strong women, brave children, and even supernatural beings, each of whom played a part in shaping Indigenous history. This Place illustrates — both figuratively and literally — the efforts of a people to carve out their identities in a nation so determined to erase them, and to fight for equal rights in a land that is rightfully theirs.
What I have just described might sound familiar to many, given how history is rife with accounts of oppression and subsequent insurgence. However, after having experienced this anthology for myself, I can assure you that the graphic novel as a medium adds a unique, three-dimensional flavour that beckons one to not just read but live.
The Métis woman who horsewhipped the man who disrespected her fellow sisters, the Wasauksing soldier who fought nobly for a country that did nothing to repay him, and even the young girl who witnessed the murder of her friend at the hands of his colonial foster parents — all of these are stories that so vividly illustrate palpable emotion and absolute injustice.
Be that as it may, this anthology is not the story of victims; it is the account of homegrown heroes who refused to sit back and be told what to do — the people who survived the end of their world. It powerfully depicts how, with great patience, grace, and far more tolerance than can be said of the settlers who invaded their lands, these Indigenous communities emerged as triumphant victors where common history would have you see them as conquests.
In a way, this graphic novel is the antithesis of Indigenous peoples’ suffering. Colonials aimed to dehumanize, force assimilation, and pervert age-old traditions; however, this work illuminates Indigenous peoples’ humanity, sets them apart, and celebrates their culture.
So, if you ever find yourself wondering how to navigate a post-apocalyptic world, look no further than This Place: 150 Years Retold, and be inspired by the grit, strength, and solidarity of the Indigenous peoples of this country in their efforts to uphold their identity and stake claim to their rightful inheritance.
