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

4.0

This graphic novel is a fascinating collection of stories focused on the broad history and experience of First Nations people in Canada. As someone who grew up in the United States, many of the events detailed in this book (and even some of the terms used) were brand new to me, but I found the learning process very enjoyable. Some of the stories ("Annie of Red River", "Like a Razor Slash", "Peggy") approach historical events in a fairly straightforward way, while others ("Rosie," "Red Clouds") take a much more impressionistic tone to delve into indigenous beliefs and mythology. The last piece, "kitaskinaw 2350", flips the entire enterprise on its head and pretty much creates a new genre of "Indigenous Futurism", which is bracing and innovative. Overall, I loved the writing in this book, although I felt the quality of the artwork was a little uneven. But nevertheless, this is an essential book for any comics fan who wants to learn more about this history that has been hidden for too long.