From Appropriation to Sovereignty: How Indigenous Creators Are Reshaping Canadian Graphic Narratives

This paper examines the history and transformation of Indigenous representation in Canadian comic books and graphic novels, including works with significant Canadian content such as Marvel’s Alpha Flight. For much of the twentieth century, non-Indigenous writers and artists appropriated Indigeneity, producing distorted and stereotypical depictions of Indigenous peoples and culture. Examples include the classic Canadian comic Nelvana of the Northern Lights and Marvel’s portrayal of Indigenous characters within Alpha Flight, both of which reflect broader settler-colonial practices of misrepresentation and cultural appropriation.

Against this legacy, a growing number of Indigenous creators are reclaiming the medium using visual sovereignty, restorying, and cultural affirmation. Writers and artists such as Jay Odjick (Kagagi the Raven) and Gord Hill (The 500 Years of Resistance Comic Book) along with collective projects like Moonshot: The Indigenous Comics Collection and Stories of Our People / Lii zistwayr di la naasyoon di Michif: A Métis Graphic Novel Anthology, foreground Indigenous voices, perspectives, and storytelling traditions. These works do not simply insert Indigenous characters into existing frameworks; rather, they transform the medium itself by challenging settler-colonial tropes, asserting Indigenous knowledge systems, and presenting identities and histories independent of settler-colonial narratives. Their contributions highlight how comics can serve as a powerful vehicle for decolonization, cultural continuity, and the articulation of Indigenous futures. Ultimately, this paper argues that Indigenous creators are reshaping Canadian graphic narratives by moving from appropriation to sovereignty, giving face and voice to communities that have long been marginalized within both comics and Canadian cultural production more broadly.