A review by sidbookreviews
This Place: 150 Years Retold by David A. Robertson, Sean Qitsualik-Tinsley, Jen Storm, Niigaanwewidam James Sinclair, Kateri Akiwenzie-Damm, Chelsea Vowel, Brandon Mitchell, Richard Van Camp, Rachel Qitsualik-Tinsley, Katherena Vermette, Sonny Assu

challenging informative fast-paced

5.0

Wow, this book is so good. This Place: 150 Years Retold is a gorgeous, informative and powerful graphic novel anthology that showcases lush illustrations, storytelling and Indigenous resistance throughout history. This is exactly the type of book I wish I had in my classrooms growing up. I think a lot of times we learn about history in Canadian classrooms not only through a lens that doesn’t centre Indigenous voices the way it should, but that also doesn’t teach about the individual stories of marginalized people, the things they accomplished, and their communities. I could probably count on only one hand the number of times I have learned, in-depth, about the story, impact and life of someone who is not a white man in school. I think This Place does exactly the opposite in that it showcases Indigenous creators and tells the stories of real people, their lives, activism and accomplishments in an immersive way. The graphic novel style is super accessible and engaging for audiences of all ages, and I think there is really something for everyone in this book, as there are so many diverse genres, illustration styles and stories represented. Some of my favourite stories from this anthology are Tilted Ground, Peggy, Nimkii and Like a Razor Slash, but all of them are fantastic. This Place takes the reader on a journey through history, telling the story of 150+ years of genocide, colonialism and Indigenous resistance in what is now Canada. It brings life to Indigenous stories, history and historical figures in an extremely powerful and impactful way, and I can’t recommend it enough.
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