Xwémalhkwu Hero Stories (2024) is a groundbreaking graphic novel that brings to life the traditional stories and language of the Homalco Nation through comic art.
Led by media personality Tchadas Leo (Homalco) and in consultation with Homalco Knowledge Keepers, this graphic novel presents the work of Indigenous artists Alina Pete (Cree), Valen Onstine (Cree), and Gord Hill (Kwakwaka’wakw), who visually translated Coast Salish history and storytelling traditions into an engaging and educational format. The project was developed in collaboration with the UBC Comics Studies Cluster and Education without Borders (EwB) and exemplifies the power of comics to preserve cultural heritage and support Indigenous storytelling traditions.
Join artists Alina Pete and Valen Onstine and UBC Comics Studies Cluster Director Biz Nijdam for discussions with the creative team, insights into the artistic and cultural process behind the novel, and reflections on the team’s transformative journey to Bute Inlet, the ancestral territory of the Homalco people.
Copies of Xwémalhkwu Hero Stories will be available for purchase, and the team will share upcoming plans for educational resources and further community engagement.
For more information or to inquire about book purchases, please contact the Homalco First Nation at heroes@homalco.com.
This project was generously sponsored by Education without Borders (EwB), the UBC Comics Studies Cluster, the UBC Popular Media for Social Change Research Excellence Cluster, the UBC Community Engagement Office, and the Narratives Group in the UBC Centre for Migration Studies.
(Note: this panel will be recorded.)
Room C. Seating limited to 30 people.