A review by intensej
Paying the Land by Joe Sacco

5.0

Paying the Land is a thought-provoking, well-researched, and insightful look into the lives of of the Dene people. Joe Sacco's interviews with influential Dene people were really helpful in showing the different perspectives within the Dene. I learned about how the Canadian government forced First Nation children into residential school systems where they endured sexual, mental, and physical abuse. This book also showed how the treatise between First Nation elders and the government was inherently flawed and unequal. Sacco acknowledges the problems that the Dene people are facing: intergenerational trauma, reliance on government welfare programs, colonization, loss of culture, and addiction. The illustrations in this graphic novel added to the story, and it helped the reader visualize how the Dene people would traditionally live in the bush. Readers who enjoy historical non-fiction will enjoy this graphic novel.