The stories and histories of Homalco elders were recorded for posterity in the 1990s and now that wealth of material is being brought to a new generation in a format that might appeal to them.
The Homalco First Nation is putting together a graphic novel that will bring those stories to the next generation. The project, funded by Education Without Borders, the UBC Comics Studies program and the UBC Community Engagement Officer, is being run by Tchadas Leo and three Indigenous artists have been working hard on three distinct stories for the book. The graphic novel is based on the recordings, which were also used in a hosted by Leo and put out by Homalco First Nation-owned radio station 100.7 The Raven.
B次元官网网址淭hey were recorded for history and to hang on to whatever knowledge we could from those Elders,B次元官网网址� Leo said. B次元官网网址淚B次元官网网址檇 say 80 per cent of those Elders arenB次元官网网址檛 here anymore. So we captured what they knew as quickly as we could back in the day B次元官网网址� Then for the podcast, IB次元官网网址檇 grab my assistant and find the Elder and talk about what they said. ThereB次元官网网址檚 canoeing, hunting, trading with other Nations, wars with other Nations, whatever it may be. Then weB次元官网网址檇 analyze the stories and talk to the Elders and kind of bring a modern touch to it.B次元官网网址�
Since he did the work on the podcast, Leo was an easy pick to run the graphic novel project.
B次元官网网址淚 decided to take on the challenge,B次元官网网址� he said. B次元官网网址淲eB次元官网网址檝e got a great team together including the artists and weB次元官网网址檙e gonna try and pump out this graphic novel.B次元官网网址�
He said the idea of a graphic novel came from Education Without Borders, who B次元官网网址渢hought maybe this graphic novel would help the youth and the children engage more with the language and want to learn it more.B次元官网网址�
The artists are Alina Pete, a N锚hiyaw (Cree) artist from Little Pine First Nation in Saskatchewan, Valen Onstine, a Cree and Deneza trans visual artist from Horse Lake First Nation in Alberta, and Gord Hill, a KwakwakaB次元官网网址檞akw artist. The artists will each be working on a separate section of the graphic novel.
B次元官网网址淭heyB次元官网网址檒l have a different style and a different take but, ultimately, we wanted to have three different artists do it their way. So itB次元官网网址檒l have a variety within the book, with some underlying things that will match all three of them,B次元官网网址� Leo said. B次元官网网址淏ut, essentially, itB次元官网网址檒l be three uniquely different stories based off of those recordings.B次元官网网址�
To help inspire the artists, the Homalco First Nation took them on a site visit, alongside the Elders who gave their stories to the project, to the traditional territories in Bute Inlet.
B次元官网网址淣o picture is gonna really justify the color of the water how tall the mountains are or the steepness of the cliffs,B次元官网网址� he said. B次元官网网址淭hose artists got to go on that boat trip and learn from them and see those spots. They were sketching them right on the boat.B次元官网网址�
As the artists finish their work, Leo will be taking the text to community members to get translations into 蕯ay蕯aj虒u胃蓹m (Ayajuthem), the traditional language of the Homalco People.
Leo himself has a connection to the project. He is from the Homalco First Nation, but no longer lives on the reserve.
B次元官网网址淭he project is a way to reconnect back to my to continuously reconnect back to my nation, my language and my identity as an Indigenous man,B次元官网网址� he said. B次元官网网址淭o have this opportunity to reconnect and do it through you know, the type of work that I do B次元官网网址� itB次元官网网址檚 an amazing way for me to give something back to the community.B次元官网网址�
Leo said he hopes to have a copy of the graphic novel ready for the community by summer.
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