Winnipeg graphic novelist brings Aboriginal history to new audience
As the pain and loss of James's residential school experiences follow him into adulthood, his life spirals out of control. Haunted by guilt, he is unable to maintain a relationship with Lauren and their son Edwin. Edwin, mired in his own pain, tries to navigate past the desolation of his fatherless childhood. As James tries to heal himself he begins to realize that, somehow, he may save his son's life--as well as his own. When father and son finally meet, can they heal their shattered relationship, and themselves, or will it be too late?
At its heart, 7 Generations is about a young First Nations man named Edwin and his struggle to find hope and meaning. The series looks at how the history of his ancestors, going back seven generations, has affected him today. It explores how history, our yesterday, can dictate our today and our tomorrow, and how understanding our history but not allowing it to define us can help us on a journey of healing. Edwin's struggle is to understand and accept history's role in his life but to take control of his life at the same time.
Why did you chose graphic novels as a medium to tell these stories?
The graphic novel is an incredible educational tool. It allows me to reach a broad range of people; sophisticated readers, readers that are typically hard to reach, those who are reading at a lower skill level, and both males and females. It is engaging and effective. In the end, graphic novels/comic books are cool. Who wouldn't want Super Man, for example, to teach them math? :o)
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