A response to Jan Hare’s article “What can I learn about indigenous story-telling traditions that I might apply to the teaching of graphic novels written by indigenous authors?”

After attending the YTE book club event on Sherman Alexie’s The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian, where Jan Hare was the main organizer, I had to make connections between her article and Alexie’s novel. One thing that Hare stressed both in her article as well as during the talk is the fact that Aboriginal communities have strong family ties that keep them together, a theme that reoccurs in Alexie’s novel as well. The story about Arnold’s sister Mary leaving the rez to go live in Montana has similarities to the story Red: A Haida Manga, which Hare describes in her article. Loyalty amongst tribe members and family members seems to be one of the most important factors in the relationships described in Alexie’s novels.

Although Alexie’s work is not a graphic novel, it is very visual, using multiple illustrations to convey humour and life on the rez for Arnold (Junior). Hare felt that the humour was an important counterpoint that made the story so approachable, and the sadness of the narrative so poignant. Hare said that the story made her laugh, cry, and laugh so hard that she cried. For Hare, the story was also a way for her to reconnect with her son through story. Hare said that after grade 3, she had stopped reading to her son before bed as it didn’t seem like something he was interested in any longer. However, when her son was in sixth grade, she read a part of Alexie’s novel to him, and she found that he would bring her the book the next night to hear her read again. This personal story struck me as powerful, as it demonstrates one of the ways people connect through story.

The book club discussion also revolved around the need for approaching indigenous literature with care and sensitivity, especially since most teachers are not indigenous themselves. In order to avoid perpetuating stereotypes and discrimination of Aboriginal peoples through story, teachers need to approach Aboriginal literature as deeply personal narratives – they can be applied to the experiences of many other Aboriginals, but we should avoid assuming that these works tell the stories of all Aboriginals. Each person is unique, after all, and personal experiences should be taken into consideration before cultural experiences.