Welcome to the weird mind of David Redl, capable computer scientist, sometimes ScrumMaster, and aspiring author.
I am passionate about stories and started this blog to share my experiences with the written word as a reader and, hopefully someday, an author.
My family and I are blessed to live and work on Treaty 7 land in Alberta, Canada.
2021-12-31 - David Redl
One graphic novel that should be on everybody’s (or at least every Canadian’s) reading list, is This Place: 150 Years Retold. It is a collection of 10 short stories from the timeline of Indigenous people in post-contact Canada, with the last being forward-looking with a generous amount of hope and good will.
The stories are beautifully illustrated and shed light on aspects of Indigenous which I can attest have been woefully absent from the local social studies curriculum. They are told with intense emotion and a great deal of creativity, within the historical context. Many passages are footnoted and refer to specific historical material. At the beginning of each story there is a heartfelt foreword by the author, providing insight into their connection to their stories, as well as a timeline stretching from 1867 to 2018 to help put the stories in a historical context.
I really loved that this book provides a perspective that was lacking from my education. I would encourage school boards across Canada to include it in their curriculums. In lieu of that, I would encourage basically everyone to check it out. Even without the historical and cultural significance, the stories and illustrations were quite enjoyable. My favorite story from this collection was “Tilted Ground”, the story of Chief Billy Assu. For people who want more engagement with the creators, there is a podcast version of the book available on CBC Books.
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