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Kwändǖr
Indigenous Voices Award winner Cole Pauls returns with a robust collection of stories that celebrate the cultural practices and experiences of Dene and Arctic peoples
Gathering Pauls’s comics from magazines, comic festivals and zine making workshops, these comics are his most personal work yet. You’ll learn stories about the author’s family, racism and identity, Yukon history, winter activities, Southern Tutchone language lessons and cultural practices. Have you ever wanted to learn how to Knuckle Hop? or to acknowledge and respect the Indigenous land you’re on? Or how to be an ally to Indigenous people? Well, gather around and hear this Kwändǖr!
Gathering Pauls’s comics from magazines, comic festivals and zine making workshops, these comics are his most personal work yet. You’ll learn stories about the author’s family, racism and identity, Yukon history, winter activities, Southern Tutchone language lessons and cultural practices. Have you ever wanted to learn how to Knuckle Hop? or to acknowledge and respect the Indigenous land you’re on? Or how to be an ally to Indigenous people? Well, gather around and hear this Kwändǖr!
140 pages, Paperback
First published November 15, 2022
2 people are currently reading
87 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews
May 1, 2023
It was okay, the art was pretty and I liked some of the stories, but some didn't make sense to me. Maybe it was a translation error thing? Or it just isn't my culture? Idk, it was a new experience at least. (I liked the Arctic Sports though!)
June 11, 2024
I have really enjoyed all of Cole Pauls' comics and this one is no different. This one is a collection of his comics from the past few years, mostly quite short. They cover a variety of topics, though mostly focus on racism and identity, with several focusing on Pauls' Indigeneity.
There are also quite a few of the shorter comics (1-2 pages) that are bilingual, written in English and Southern Tutchone. I think it's fantastic that these comics are being published to help retain Indigenous languages. Although Southern Tutchone is a language spoken mostly in the Yukon (where Pauls is from), it is still really interesting to see a comic written in an Indigenous language.
Some of my favourite comics in the collection were the ones speaking about cultural appropriation in video games (and offering alternatives to racist games such as Turok), the comic that depicts when Pauls' identity was questioned during a class at the Emily Carr Institute (where he received his MFA), and the one about his tattoos and how it's cultural appropriation to get Indigenous symbols and images tattooed on yourself if you are not Indigenous.
I really enjoy Cole Pauls' art style, it is very much in the formline style, which is a feature of Indigenous artwork on the Pacific North Coast. While it is in that style, it is still very much his own; I could easily pick his artwork out of a group of other formline artwork.
There are also quite a few of the shorter comics (1-2 pages) that are bilingual, written in English and Southern Tutchone. I think it's fantastic that these comics are being published to help retain Indigenous languages. Although Southern Tutchone is a language spoken mostly in the Yukon (where Pauls is from), it is still really interesting to see a comic written in an Indigenous language.
Some of my favourite comics in the collection were the ones speaking about cultural appropriation in video games (and offering alternatives to racist games such as Turok), the comic that depicts when Pauls' identity was questioned during a class at the Emily Carr Institute (where he received his MFA), and the one about his tattoos and how it's cultural appropriation to get Indigenous symbols and images tattooed on yourself if you are not Indigenous.
I really enjoy Cole Pauls' art style, it is very much in the formline style, which is a feature of Indigenous artwork on the Pacific North Coast. While it is in that style, it is still very much his own; I could easily pick his artwork out of a group of other formline artwork.
October 28, 2023
For when you want a disjointed, Arctic young man coming of age stories (Arctic Games were cool but didn’t enjoy the art).
January 6, 2023
What keywords came to mind reading this book? culture, heritage, community, language, teaching, learning, colonization, the land, art, and sovereignty.
The summary is as follows "Indigenous Voices Award winner Cole Pauls returns with a robust collection of stories that celebrate the cultural practices and experiences of Dene and Arctic peoples
Gathering Pauls’s comics from magazines, comic festivals and zine making workshops, these comics are his most personal work yet. You’ll learn stories about the author’s family, racism and identity, Yukon history, winter activities, Southern Tutchone language lessons and cultural practices. Have you ever wanted to learn how to Knuckle Hop? or to acknowledge and respect the Indigenous land you’re on? Or how to be an ally to Indigenous people? Well, gather around and hear this Kwändǖr!"
Much like the rest of his work that has been published so far, rather then being a straight forward graphic novel Kwändǖr is a collection of previously published material. Which isn't always my favourite thing, but is sometimes necessary to make sure that material continues to be available and perhaps even more widely so. I also felt like once I closed the book I wasn't left with any strong feeling that anything was missing. Although that is a pretty personal judgement.
It is definitely a window into what makes Cole Pauls Cole Pauls. Which he can certainly describe better then I can, so pulling a bit from his afterword "I grew up in a communite where skidoos, moose meeat, and driving up the highway were a normal thing. I never realized how special my childhood was until I moved to Vancouver and discovered how different my upbringing was from everyone else. I hope this book Reflects that.
Even though I drew these stories, I know they are not mine. They are my community's stories, they are my family and friend's stories, they are my collaborator's stories, and they are stories for you to tell each other."
Looking at representation. Obviously this is a very personal work, which often limits the amount of diversity that ends up being included.
That said, the issue of race and the colonialist idea of blood quantum are explored through Pauls own experience with people assuming he is appropriating the culture he participates in.
Gender did see some diversity, although none explicitly labeled as outside the binary.
And while none heterosexualness didn't come up, neither really did heterosexuality really. So it all seemed to even out in the end.
Class felt a bit less highlighted, although it continues to be impossible to ignore Pauls' grungey punk roots - in the best way of course.
Thoughts on disability and ability were the most lacking, although not unusually so.
To conclude, a collection that goes beyond the 101 and in a way that is highly personal. I look forward to picking up even more of Pauls work in the future. Five stars!
The summary is as follows "Indigenous Voices Award winner Cole Pauls returns with a robust collection of stories that celebrate the cultural practices and experiences of Dene and Arctic peoples
Gathering Pauls’s comics from magazines, comic festivals and zine making workshops, these comics are his most personal work yet. You’ll learn stories about the author’s family, racism and identity, Yukon history, winter activities, Southern Tutchone language lessons and cultural practices. Have you ever wanted to learn how to Knuckle Hop? or to acknowledge and respect the Indigenous land you’re on? Or how to be an ally to Indigenous people? Well, gather around and hear this Kwändǖr!"
Much like the rest of his work that has been published so far, rather then being a straight forward graphic novel Kwändǖr is a collection of previously published material. Which isn't always my favourite thing, but is sometimes necessary to make sure that material continues to be available and perhaps even more widely so. I also felt like once I closed the book I wasn't left with any strong feeling that anything was missing. Although that is a pretty personal judgement.
It is definitely a window into what makes Cole Pauls Cole Pauls. Which he can certainly describe better then I can, so pulling a bit from his afterword "I grew up in a communite where skidoos, moose meeat, and driving up the highway were a normal thing. I never realized how special my childhood was until I moved to Vancouver and discovered how different my upbringing was from everyone else. I hope this book Reflects that.
Even though I drew these stories, I know they are not mine. They are my community's stories, they are my family and friend's stories, they are my collaborator's stories, and they are stories for you to tell each other."
Looking at representation. Obviously this is a very personal work, which often limits the amount of diversity that ends up being included.
That said, the issue of race and the colonialist idea of blood quantum are explored through Pauls own experience with people assuming he is appropriating the culture he participates in.
Gender did see some diversity, although none explicitly labeled as outside the binary.
And while none heterosexualness didn't come up, neither really did heterosexuality really. So it all seemed to even out in the end.
Class felt a bit less highlighted, although it continues to be impossible to ignore Pauls' grungey punk roots - in the best way of course.
Thoughts on disability and ability were the most lacking, although not unusually so.
To conclude, a collection that goes beyond the 101 and in a way that is highly personal. I look forward to picking up even more of Pauls work in the future. Five stars!
December 15, 2022
2.5 stars - not so much a graphic novel as a sometimes sorta-disjointed collection of brief anecdotes about the author's family; a couple of cringey incidents in his school life (a white student accusing him of 'appropriating' his own culture, since he didn't look Native enough, then, when he pointed out he IS a clan member who's lived in the culture since birth, continued to question whether he's native enough; a white film prof dismissing dreamcatchers, a significant past of many indigenous kids' childhoods, as an example of disposable kitsch, and only very clunkily apologizing for it); and a number of 'see spot run'-style chapters in Southern Tutchone language that may be useful for readers trying to learn or reclaim the language.
My favourite parts were the discussion of various Arctic and Dene games (I really want to try some of these now!), and the chapter discussing indigenous video game characters from the old inaccurate portrayals to a few newer culturally appropriate ones by indigenous creators (Never Alone/Kisima Innitchuna, Mulaka, and Thunderbird Strike) - again, I'd love to try those!
It's not that it's a bad collection--there's good stuff in here!--it just felt a bit hodgepodge; like the cultural discussion and life incidents plus the very short language-learning pages were two different books put together, with the chapters alternating by a logic I didn't follow.
My favourite parts were the discussion of various Arctic and Dene games (I really want to try some of these now!), and the chapter discussing indigenous video game characters from the old inaccurate portrayals to a few newer culturally appropriate ones by indigenous creators (Never Alone/Kisima Innitchuna, Mulaka, and Thunderbird Strike) - again, I'd love to try those!
It's not that it's a bad collection--there's good stuff in here!--it just felt a bit hodgepodge; like the cultural discussion and life incidents plus the very short language-learning pages were two different books put together, with the chapters alternating by a logic I didn't follow.
April 10, 2023
This was fascinating—I don’t know if I have ever read a graphic novel by a First Nations person before. I loved how the author incorporated Indigenous art motifs and language into his personal stories. There are many lessons in here on how non-Indigenous people can be more culturally sensitive. One of the most maddeningly-racist examples shared in this book is an experience the author had with another student in art school who [presumably] THOUGHT she was being “woke.” This student accused Pauls of cultural appropriation for his Tlingit Shaman piece because Pauls presents White. When discovering that he is 1/4 aboriginal and raised in the Yukon among his community—perhaps to save face or perhaps to continue gatekeeping—she demands to know his spiritual beliefs. 🤦♀️
White people have a history of trying to quantify Indigenous peoples’ level of “Indigeneity.” (One can also see this with Blacks being accused of not being “Black-enough” if they exhibit “too many” middle class behaviors.) Outsiders should not attempt to determine if a person’s bloodline, appearance, way of life, or spirituality is “enough” to qualify them as member of the group they claim—that group decides.
While this book was a bit clunky as it is a collection of stand-alone works, it provides ample educational and artistic value. I hope to see a lot more from this author and more books like this one!
White people have a history of trying to quantify Indigenous peoples’ level of “Indigeneity.” (One can also see this with Blacks being accused of not being “Black-enough” if they exhibit “too many” middle class behaviors.) Outsiders should not attempt to determine if a person’s bloodline, appearance, way of life, or spirituality is “enough” to qualify them as member of the group they claim—that group decides.
While this book was a bit clunky as it is a collection of stand-alone works, it provides ample educational and artistic value. I hope to see a lot more from this author and more books like this one!
Read
September 15, 2024In his last graphic essay, Cole Paul’s addresses non-indigenous people who try to judge or police aspects of indigenous culture, misappropriating and misunderstanding along the way. He’s absolutely right. In that sense, I won’t give this book a star rating, because any rating I give would be based on my own cultural misunderstandings. I will say that I deeply appreciate the way Paul’s offers glimpses into his community traditions and ways of living in ways that can help readers like me learn a bit, even if we are not necessarily the intended audience.
March 23, 2023
A great collection of work by Cole Pauls - zine features and other works of art. My favourites were his collab with Cease Wyss about why land acknowledgements matter, as well as any of the pieces about his family in the Yukon. I also really appreciate his series about the racism he encountered as an indigenous art student at Emily Carr.
October 19, 2023
I enjoyed the art in this book, and the artist definitely had an important message he wanted to impart. The conclusion of the book tied in nicely to the beginning. However… it was difficult to read and it didn’t have a cohesive storyline throughout. I couldn’t tell if I was reading a short story collection, a memoir, or a language primer.
2.5 stars
2.5 stars
November 9, 2024
3.5 stars
I really enjoyed the art and some of the stories, especially the beginning and end, where the author discusses cultural appropriation and events that happened to him in university. The stories written in two languages were also cool and a great way to teach his People's language and revitalize it.
However, as with most collections of stories, I enjoyed some better than others.
I really enjoyed the art and some of the stories, especially the beginning and end, where the author discusses cultural appropriation and events that happened to him in university. The stories written in two languages were also cool and a great way to teach his People's language and revitalize it.
However, as with most collections of stories, I enjoyed some better than others.
April 6, 2023
Some of the stories were great and I wish they went into more detail. Some of the stories failed to catch my attention. I though this would be more biography that short stories. I would gladly read another book by this author.
Want to read
September 10, 2022Note: I accessed a digital review copy of this book from the publisher through Edelweiss.
October 7, 2022
really fun, personal, and informative. incredible illustrations.
October 28, 2022
A great collection of work that is relevant, introspective, and heartfelt. Cole’s honesty and lived experience shine brightest in this early career spanning work.
November 2, 2022
Great collection of stories and teachings told through artwork, I really liked the incorporation of the formline style throughout. The panel with the bats flying over the campfire is a personal fave!
March 12, 2023
Great collection of Pauls' recent work.
Read
November 14, 2023DNF; page 25
would benefit from an editor and a better artist. felt like something a middle schooler drew and got published. the pages with stylized art were pretty cool, though
would benefit from an editor and a better artist. felt like something a middle schooler drew and got published. the pages with stylized art were pretty cool, though
November 27, 2023
Comics that look at many of the current indigenous conversations.
November 4, 2024
Cole Pauls illustrations and narratives are fantastic and informative. Highly recommend this graphic novel for youth and adults alike.
December 30, 2024
Powerful - perfect.
June 19, 2025
Love the autobiographical template and the art is stunning!
Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews