Suicide Prevention in Nêhiyawi (Cree) Comic Books

One of the many negative effects of colonization in North America is the epidemic of suicide infecting Indigenous youth; in Canada, First Nations youth living on reserve are five to six times more likely to commit suicide than is average for the general population. This paper examines the depiction of suicide in two Nêhiyawi (Cree) comic books: Darkness Calls by Steven Keewatin Sanderson (2006) and 7 Generations: A Plains Cree Saga by David Alexander Robertson and Scott B. Henderson (2012). The formal conjunction of oral and graphic storytelling in these two works emphasizes the necessity of bringing Nêhiyawi history and tradition into the contemporary world, and the interrelation of the two genres parallels the relationships between community and individual that are inherent to health. Just as the graphic novel form interacts with oral storytelling, adding new dimensions, but not replacing it, so the strength of the individual draws from and contributes to the strength of the nation. The comic books work not only through overt anti-suicide messages but also through storytelling strategies that connect the present to ongoing traditions, graphic novels to oral storytelling, and individual autonomy to community strength.