52 Ways to Reconcile: How to Walk with Indigenous Peoples on the Path to Healing - Week 16

Week 16: Read Indigenous Comics
from Robertson, David A. 52 Ways to Reconcile: How to Walk with Indigenous Peoples on the Path to Healing

This week, Robertson invites us into a different kind of storytelling: comics and graphic novels. For him, this is deeply personal. Comics shaped his own journey as a writer, and they became one of the ways he chose to tell Indigenous stories in response to the stereotypes and misrepresentations he saw growing up.

He takes a moment to explain why comics are so powerful. At their core, they are a form of sequential art—images placed in sequence to tell a story. In many ways, this connects to some of the earliest forms of human communication, like cave paintings, where stories were told visually. Because of this, comics engage us in a unique way. We don’t just read them—we participate in them.

Between each panel is a small gap, often called the “gutter,” where the reader fills in what happens next. That means we become active participants in the story, using our imagination to connect the moments. Combined with the visual elements, this can make stories feel immediate, immersive, and emotionally impactful.

Robertson connects this directly to reconciliation. When we are trying to understand difficult histories—like the experience of residential schools—words alone can be powerful, but visuals can bring us closer to the reality of those experiences. Comics allow us to “see” what is being described, helping to deepen empathy and understanding in ways that can be hard to achieve otherwise.

He points to a growing number of Indigenous creators using this medium to share stories across many themes and genres. Works like The Outside Circle by Patti LaBoucane-Benson, A Girl Called Echo by Katherina Vermette, This Place: 150 Years Retold by various contributors, and Surviving the City by Tasha Spillett are just a few examples of stories that are engaging, accessible, and deeply meaningful.

The invitation this week is simple: pick up a graphic novel by an Indigenous author. Whether from a library or a local bookstore, it’s a chance not only to learn, but also to support Indigenous storytellers.

What story might you encounter through this medium, and how might seeing it, as opposed to simply reading it, shape your understanding in a new way?

Want to read last weeks post, you can do so here.