Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz's Indigenous Peoples' History of the United States: A Graphic Interpretation

I got this book for Fathers Day this year, and reading it has been a moving ordeal. I have not read the source material for this adaptation, but this graphic interpretation is structured in a way that features its author, scholar and activist Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz, as its narrator delivering a grand lecture. As lectures go, this one is engaging and chock full of information. It runs from a time 10,000 years ago when agricultural communities were being established around corn until protests and political actions very near our present day. In between is a vast channel of history, from the governmental and social structures of various tribes in North America to the ruling principles of European countries that eventually crossed the ocean in search of trade routes and treasures, only to conquer, enslave, and slaughter the people who already lived here.

This book is encyclopedic with historical figures such as Tecumseh and Andrew Jackson, events such as the Wounded Knee Massacre and the Trail of Tears, and (sadly) influential publications such as Last of the Mohicans. But this is no dry account, and what I appreciate about it most is how it explores historical concepts and expounds on how specific ideologies were formed and propagated and how large-scale murder and theft were made to look heroic and just. It covers the idea of Manifest Destiny and how a campaign of mass genocide was pitched as a moral crusade, and it also touches on how policies such as the Homestead Acts and economic happenings like the California gold rush mightily and swiftly led to native peoples losing land and rights. There is much to think about here that pertains to current events, propaganda, and modern history, questions and critiques that are worth pursuing to make a more equitable and just world. This book is the best sort, one that leaves the reader changed after putting it down.

One critique I do have is that the book features many large blocks of text, which can be dense, but I feel that it also scaffolds them well with detailed artwork that conveys not only images of the past but also a good amount of emotion and drama. The artwork well suits the prose, providing much needed context that supports and promotes comprehension of the big ideas within.

Pulling off the large feat of adapting this book was Paul Peart-Smith. He is a British artist who has been making comics for over three decades, drawing stories for 2000 AD and many other publishers, including a graphic adaptation of W.E.B. Du Bois's The Souls of Black Folks. Both he and Dunbar-Ortiz speak about this adaptation of Indigenous Peoples' History of the United States in this interview.

I was not able to find many reviews of this book online, but I very much agree with Brian Cronin who wrote, "This is a book that is very worth reading for anyone who wants to challenge what they think about American history."

Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz's Indigenous Peoples' History of the United States was published by Beacon Press, and they offer more information about it here.

7 Generations: A Plains Cree Saga

In the last few years, I have been interacting with Native American cultures through a variety of different media. I have watched shows like Reservation Dogs and Dark Winds, read books like We Had A Little Real Estate Problem, and read comics from companies like ATCG. Today, I am talking about a  graphic novel, 7 Generations, which spans centuries in its look at a Canadian indigenous family and how generational trauma affects them. The framing sequence is set in 2010, and it's about a 16-year-old boy named Edwin. He is struggling with school and life, and he feels cut adrift. One reason for his feelings is because he is estranged from his father, James, and feels abandoned by him. He decides to take matters and his life in his own hands, namely to end both. Luckily, he was not successful.

It turns out that these feelings are predicated on what has gone on in the past, and this book chronicles four episodes about this family. The first chapter focuses on a couple of Plains Cree brothers in the late 19th century and what transpires after one of them dies in a Blackfoot raid and the other, named Stone, seeks revenge. The second chapter focuses on White Cloud and his experiences during the smallpox pandemic of 1870-1871. The third chapter leaps more toward the present, portraying James's experiences being taken from his family and re-housed in Christian residential schools with his brother. The fourth comes full circle and deals with how James and Edwin might reconcile and lead better lives.

There is a lot going on in this book, and each chapter contains scenes of horror and violence of different sorts. The drawings portray much of the proceedings in visceral, emotional, and dramatic fashion, and in many ways this is a tough book to read, appropriately so, in my opinion. It does not flinch from showing past terrors and crimes, and it also resolves not completely but hopefully. I found this a very moving and informative book, and I recommend it to anyone who is interested in learning more about indigenous cultures or comics.

This book was created by author David A. Robertson and artist Scott B. Henderson. Robertson has written many books from adults and young people, and has won many accolades, including the Governor General's Literary Award and the TD Canadian Children’s Literature Award. 7 Generations was Henderson's first graphic novel, and since then he has drawn 20 more, mainly collaborating with indigenous authors. Robertson speaks about his collaboration with Henderson on this book in this interview.

All of the reviews I have read of this book sing its praises. Suzanne Manizza Roszak concluded, "An equally fitting choice for adolescent and adult readers, 7 Generations deserves to be much more widely read." Joanne Peters wrote that the chapters are "emotionally powerful works, and Scott Henderson's ...visuals add to the impact of Robertson's narratives, particularly in the depiction of the residential school experience."

7 Generations was published by HighWater Press, and they offer more information about the upcoming 15th anniversary edition here. Because of the subject matter, including self-harm and emotional violence, I suggest this book for high school and above.

 Thank you and shout-out to Dani, who chose this book for our graphic novel class!!!