Reflection 3 – Graphic Novel Vaani Thavalingam

Elizabeth LaPensée’s “Moonshot: The Indigenous Comics Collection (Volume 3)” is a

compilation of colorful warnings to readers as it reimagines the past and future of Indigenous

peoples’ experiences at the core. From the first comic, Jennifer Storm’s “Future World,”

illustrated by Kyle Charles, introduces readers to the year 2171, and the Earth is inhabitable and

in a compromised state of a constant pollution; leaving humans to interact with Earth

experiences via simulation. The Indigenous protagonist, a boy in a futuristic hazmat suit,

considers a variety of selections from a screen that offers “Sit in the park of fresh air for only

$79.99 an hour” or “Experience your god of choice for only $49.99 an hour. (Storm et al, 11).”

But the boy only wants to sit with an elder in time-sensory travel to hear traditional stories, until

the machine “malfunctions” and something quite unexpected occurs. Readers further engulf

themselves into a compilation of historical reclamation as for once, the public can see

Indigenous people not just a figment of the past, but the present AND future.

This novel’s discussions on colonialism are the most canon in its accounts of breaking the

false narrative of Indigenous extinction or indigeneity being a historical relic. As seen by the

comic’s centering pull, “[Popular media] offers this idea of Indigenous people as existing only

in historical times. The opposite is true: Indigenous people have survived to modern times and

they are not just legendary people of days gone by (Sheyahshe et al, 10).” This quote can be

seen as the motif of this novel as it speaks on the false narrative of Indigenous extinction. Under

the post-colonial lens, this passage is a commentary of the orientalist narrative of the

Indigenous community being non-existent in the modern world. Whether its Indigenous culture

displayed in the media like Disney’s Pocahontas (1995), or ‘native’ costumes pushed in stores for

Halloween, the Indigenous community’s persona hasn’t differed from how the early European

settlers viewed the Indigenous community in the 16th century. Indigenous people are often

conceptualized as a dead relic of the past, similar to a ghost. With the likes of production
companies like Disney comparing settler colonialism to forgotten fairy tales, it further pushes

this extremely harmful stereotape. North American and European historical texts are

Eurocentric as they are derived from reference sources of White supremacist explorers’ journals.

Thus, the information is heavily biased and minimizes the horrors of colonialism. So, one must

understand that a our society (a Eurocentric society)—with a historical record of deliberately

utilizing their power to pursue agony amongst Indigenous people—has control of the narrative

to manipulate public perception of the Indigenous community, pushing Indigenous-centered

discrimination; while diminishing their own acts of terror. For instance, the intentional erasure

of Indigenous culture through the establishment of residential schools and other horrific forms

of bigotry. In addition, the prominence of the European/Western-driven narrative has led to the

public overlooking current social issues present within the Indigenous community. Considering

the Indigenous population in Canada is enduring the highest rates of drug abuse, homelessness,

human trafficking, suicides and other problematic affairs. Therefore, it’s critical to understand

how the myth of the Indigenous community being extinct, ancient and forgone is truly

impacting them.

The graphic novel provided great insight on the environmental implications of settler

colonialism as it provides chilling visuals of a wounded earth, struggling to recover from

absorbing centuries-worth-of-man-made pollutants. Colonialism played a stark role in this

world’s industrialization, as greed-ridden settlers only found value in the monetary aspects of

the land Natives inhabited thus, leading to extensive overuse of natural resources and inevitable

depletion. Allowing readers like myself to understand that the 2171 portrayed in the novel won’t

that far off? As the effects of climate change intensify it’s obvious these issues are extremely

time-sensitive, and like most social issues, FNMI people are at the short-end of the stick when it

comes to climate change. The lives and identities of Indigenous people depend heavily on their

close relationship with the land. As the land changes due to the warming planet, their way of life

for Indigenous people—their traditions and habits—are being destroyed. For these communities,
climate change is not just a threat to the landscape, but to their human rights. Nevertheless,

incredible pieces like “Moonshot: The Indigenous Comics Collection (Volume 3),” showcase the

marvelous environmental activism many Indigenous folk have been at the forefront of. As

various FNMI leaders have reinforced the need to take action to reduce pollution, to adapt to the

impacts of climate change, and to improve the ways in which the natural environment is

respected and protected. It is of my personal belief, that such voices should be the lead in such

environmental challenges, considering the Indigenous world view is the concept of collective

responsibility for tending the land and using only that which is needed for sustenance. The

community’s interconnectedness and interdependence of all nature as well as the centuries-worth

of Indigenous knowledge on how conserving the environment, developing sustainable

agriculture, and ensuring food security.