New graphic novel delves into Northern Indigenous issues

Richard Van Camp with illustrations by Scott B. Henderson, colours by Donovan Yaciuk | Highwater Press

$23.95 | 72 pages

Growing up in Fort Smith, N.W.T., Richard Van Camp loved comics. From Marvel and DC classics to newspaper strips and cartoons, he collected them all. He soaked up the storytelling techniques between the pages.

When the Dogrib Ticho author from the Dene Nation wanted to craft tales for young readers encompassing the Far North crossroads of his youth, he settled upon graphic novels as the best way to tell them. Complete with myriad cultures, complex histories and contemporary issues, The Spirit of Denedeh series launched in 2016 with Volume 1, titled A Blanket of Butterflies.