issue 8 // volume 43

‘Not Just Words:
Comic Books, Health,
and Indigenous Youth’

> Non-profit brings dazzling visuals to real-life issues

Mercedes Deutscher
News Editor

 

n 2004, Sean Muir, a Cree and Ojibwe

man, thought that there had to be
better ways to teach Indigenous youth
about health and wellness than simply
through pamphlets and lectures. Muir
remembered the stories that enthralled
him as a child, and the stories that his
children loved. He saw that through
stories, there was the power to connect
with people. One year later, he created
the Healthy Aboriginal Network
(HAN), a non-profit organization that
would channel messages of wellness
using comic books and animation.

As a non-profit agency, HAN often
struggles to produce their content
within a tight budget. They were not
able to produce as many comics after
the 2008 global recession, which
resulted in reduced budgets in health,
justice, and education. Funding also
became more difficult to obtain during
the Harper period, which sought to
cut costs in these departments.

Muir presented “Not Just Words:
Comic Books, Health, and Indigenous
Youth” in Douglas’ Aboriginal
Gathering Place on March 17.

He saw that many Indigenous youths
were falling through the cracks in regard
to health, education, and the justice
system. Many of them came from homes
that had been damaged by colonialism.
Others were from communities
with lower levels of education, and
struggled with literacy. Muir saw an
opportunity to better connect with
these young people through comics.

HAN started with the issues of
suicide and diabetes prevention.

“Standing Together,” the first comic

Small gods

> ‘Santorini’ board game review

 

produced by HAN, was picked up and
distributed by Vancouver Coastal Health.
The comic became a wild success and
went on to sell half a million copies.

Muir recounted the feedback that
he received from an older man, who
initially suggested the comic’s themes
were too dark. Muir brushed aside the
criticism. Several years later, he was
approached again by the same man, who
had a more positive opinion on the comic
after it personally affected his family.

Someone had given a copy of the
comic to the older man’s grandchild.
The story resonated deeply, and
the grandchild came forth to his
family about the suicidal thoughts
that they had been having.

Later on, HAN started sharing
stories about sexual health, gang
violence, and child protection. They
also started utilizing animation as a
way to get their messages across.

Muir showed “Level Up” in the
seminar on Friday, a touching motion
comic about a boy named Terry. Terry
lives on a reserve and has decreasing
motivation to finish his high school
education. After a confrontation with
his mother, Terry is sent to the city for a
weekend to spend time with his cousin,
a game designer. His cousin, using video
games, helps Terry realize that finishing
his education will allow him to pursue
more opportunities later on in life.

Another animation presented in the
seminar was a whiteboard animation
about a boy named Nate who experiences
racism for the first time. His sister
explains the history of European contact,
the Canadian case of colonialism, and its
systemic effects on Indigenous culture.

The stories that HAN presents all
conclude with a happy and uplifting
ending, in order to inspire youth.

 

MY COUSINS TAUGHT LS
ABOUT ALL THINGS COOL,
LIKE STAYING LIP LATE AND
WATCHING MUSIC VIDEOS

THERE WAS AN AWAKENING
HAPPENING FOR OLR
PEOPLE, OLIR PARENTS AND
THEIR PARENTS WERE
STANDING LIP TO INJLISTICE.

A lot of the experiences that these
characters go through are similar to
those of the films’ target audience.

The comics and animations have been
tested in focus groups, often composed
of marginalized youth. Many of these
youths have responded positively,
although some criticized the comics
for being too sugar-coated, and they
reminded Muir that not all of these
scenarios wind up with happy endings.

Ed Appleby
Illustrator

 

oard games can be complex things,
full of thematic elements and
complex, evolving rule sets. However,
some of the best, most timeless
games—think chess, backgammon, or
checkers—are exercises in simplicity.
Santorini may prove to be one of these.
Santorini (2017) is a strategy board
game for two to four players designed
by Dr. Gordon Hamilton and published
by Roxley Game Laboratory. In the
game, each player moves one of two
workers around a five-by-five board,
and then builds part of a three-storey
Greek apartment. Workers can move up
one level per turn, and the first worker
to reach the third story wins the game.
Despite the simple rule set—the
game boasts that it can be learned
in 30 seconds—the strategies
involved with moving workers to
block opponents, building domes in
order to block off levels, and using

 

arts // no. 9

Through A Child's Eves...

WHEN I WAS
GROWING LIP ON
RESERVE IN THE
LATE 70°S AND
EARLY 80'S, IT
WAS A TIME OF
INDIAN ACTIVISM,
MY OLDER
COUSINS WOULD
TEACH LIS
PROTEST SONGS.

OUR PEOPLE WERE
PROUD, WERE TRYING TO
MAKE A BETTER FUTURE
FOR THEIR CHILDREN.

Comic via http://thehealthyaboriginal.net/

Still, the stories that Muir shared
in the seminar produced an emotional
reaction. One man in the audience
had attended a residential school
in his youth, and later struggled
with drug abuse and trauma. He
applauded Muir and HAN for the
difference that they were making in the
community, and wished that such an
organization had been around earlier.

variable player powers that affect
gameplay all add a level of complexity
and sophistication to the game.

The design of the game is
stunning, with simple pieces that
develop into a three-dimensional,
multi-level board as the game
progresses. The illustration work
by Lina Cossette and David Forest
is both adorable and accessible—
such that my own illustration
cannot do them justice.

I only have two complaints with
the game. Players who are really good
at thinking in three dimensions may
find themselves at an advantage, but
this can be mitigated by strategic use
of variable player powers and good
ol’ player psychology. Also, even
though the game can be played with
up to four players, there are only
three sets of workers in the box.

If you are looking for a great and
accessible game with a solid level of
gameplay and some really good replay
value, I cannot recommend Santorini
enough. It was a delightful find.

Illustration by Ed Appleby