Empowering Indigenous Learners through the Creation of Graphic Novels

Abstract

In this paper, we examine how Indigenous and non-Indigenous adolescents identify media influences as health/wellness related. We conducted research over a six-week period in two alternative high school settings: a culture-based Indigenous education program at one school and an arts-based program at another school, both in the same small, Western Canadian city. We taught students from both programs the principles of critical media health literacy. Small groups of students from the Indigenous program wrote narratives. Then small groups of Indigenous and non-Indigenous students in an arts-based education program converted these stories into graphic novel/comic book format. Findings indicated a broad range of health/wellness topics discussed, media stereotypes challenged, and varying levels of comprehension about media's impact on health. These levels ranged from misunderstanding or confusion through developing general understanding and, at the highest level, specific understanding.

Critical Literacy in Canada: A Systematic Review of Curricula and Literature

“…Students used a variety of digital technologies such as iPods and iPads (see Pellerin, 2017) and software such as iMovies and Green Screen to create images and videos on various topics (see Begoray et al, 2014;Begoray et al, 2015). They collaborated and created short health advertisement videos, digital story units (Begoray et al, 2015), graphic novels, posters, and visual arts (see Begoray & Brown, 2018;Lau, 2012;Lau, 2020;Salter, 2013). In other projects, students created different kinds of books such as ABC photobooks (Lau et al, 2015) and picture books (Gwekwerere & Buley, 2011).…”

“…Students learned about critically analysing the impact of media on health and challenging media stereotypes (Begoray & Brown, 2018), differentiating oppressor and oppressed in texts (Bennett, 2012), renegotiating relationships with Indigenous perspectives and knowledges (Douglas et al, 2020), critical inquiry (Lau, 2020), and the importance of criticality in curricula (Arshad-Ayaz et al, 2017). These activities with students appeared to address critical literacies substantially.…”

“…In addition to their own inquiries, students were asked to participate in teachers' action research or other researchers' projects. They completed surveys and questionnaires, asked questions to the Elders of their lands, and participated in individual and group interviews in which they were asked, for example, about their multimodal competencies (Begoray & Brown, 2018;Douglas et al, 2020;Trigiani, 2015). Trigiani (2015) developed an eight-week project during which students brought devices (e.g., laptops, tablets, phones) to school (or used the school's computers), searched information, and blogged as part of a "take action" project that used a critical digital literacies approach to support an antibullying movement.…”

“…Trigiani (2015) developed an eight-week project during which students brought devices (e.g., laptops, tablets, phones) to school (or used the school's computers), searched information, and blogged as part of a "take action" project that used a critical digital literacies approach to support an antibullying movement. Similarly, Begoray and Brown (2018) developed a six-week study project during which they taught students the principles of critical media health literacy. Douglas et al's (2020) study provided students with the opportunity to attend a guest lecture, by an Indigenous traditional knowledge keeper, which they described as "a particularly powerful way for them to become personally connected and to work through disruption" (p. 317).…”

Multimodal Language of Attitude in Digital Composition

“…Digital comic creation has unique potentials for students to write stories, make multimodal meanings, critically reflect, and juxtapose ideas (Sockman et al, 2016). Students may convert their stories into comic formats, and be empowered to demonstrate their knowledge through multimodal representation (Begoray & Brown, 2018).…”