Xwémalhkwu (Homalco) Heroes: Tribal Journey Indigenous Comics Initiative Project
Following the success of Xwémalhkwu Hero Stories: A Graphic Novel (2024)—a landmark project that brought Elders’ voices to new generations through comic art —TSL Enterprises Ltd, the Xwémalhkwu (Homalco) First Nation (HFN), Education without Borders, and the UBC Comics Studies Cluster are launching a new community-driven Indigenous Comics Initiative. This second graphic novel project will focus on the annual canoe journey that the HFN and many of BC’s other coastal First Nations participate in to preserve their culture and language, and to provide intergenerational connection and inter-nation relationship-building opportunities to Indigenous youth and community members. This project expands on the earlier work of Xwémalhkwu Hero Stories: A Graphic Novel, which interpreted archival recordings of Elders and visually represented cultural knowledge for youth, schools, and the broader public. However, this new initiative turns to contemporary cultural practice—the preparation, protocols, teachings, and intergenerational relationships that shape the canoe journey today.
We are seeking one Indigenous cartoonist to join returning artist Valen Onstine, who was a key contributor to the previous graphic novel, in co-creating a new comic that documents and celebrates the HFN’s annual (contemporary) traditional canoe trip from their traditional territories in Campbell River to the event’s coastal host city, which changes every year.
Application submissions are open until February 15. You can find all the details on the project and how to apply here: https://pop-culture.arts.ubc.ca/homalco-heroes-tribal-journey
