The 500 Years of Resistance Comic Book

by Gord Hill, Ward Churchill (Introduction)

A powerful and historically accurate graphic portrayal of Indigenous peoples' resistance to the European colonization of the Americas, beginning with the Spanish invasion under Christopher Columbus and ending with the Six Nations land reclamation in Ontario in 2006. Gord Hill spent two years unearthing images and researching historical information to create The 500 Years of Resistance Comic Book, which presents the story of Aboriginal resistance in a far-reaching format.

Other events depicted include the 1680 Pueblo Revolt in New Mexico; the Inca insurgency in Peru from the 1500s to the 1780s; Pontiac and the 1763 Rebellion and Royal Proclamation; Geronimo and the 1860s Seminole Wars; Crazy Horse and the 1877 War on the Plains; the rise of the American Indian Movement in the 1960s; 1973's Wounded Knee; the Mohawk Oka Crisis in Quebec in 1990; and the 1995 Aazhoodena/Stoney Point resistance.

With strong, plain language and evocative illustrations, The 500 Years of Resistance Comic Book documents the fighting spirit and ongoing resistance of Indigenous peoples through five hundred years of genocide, massacres, torture, rape, displacement, and assimilation: a necessary antidote to the conventional history of the Americas. Includes an introduction by activist Ward Churchill, leader of the American Indian Movement in Colorado and a prolific writer on Indigenous resistance issues.

Gord Hill, a member of the Kwakwaka'wakw Nation in British Columbia, has been active in Indigenous resistance, anti-colonial, and anti-capitalist movements since 1990. He is also author of The 500 Years of Resistance, a pamphlet published by PM Press.

Genres: Graphic Novels, Nonfiction, History, Indigenous, Comics, Politics, Native American

90 pages, Paperback

First published August 1, 2010

Reviews

[Jan Philipzig · Rating 3 out of 5]

Plain, stark, sober, important, thoroughly researched, raw, in-your-face, hard-hitting: a brief history of Aboriginal resistance in the long tradition of politically subversive comics - an antidote to complacent colonial myth-making.

[Alex · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a great intro to Indigenous resistance in the Americas. I wish it were longer and more comprehensive, but I also appreciate that it isn't too long - that it's an accessible format.

To the people who say this publication is "biased" - everything you read is biased. your textbooks, curriculum, most history books - they've been written by people who are colonialists, who've been raised with the same white colonial narrative. Unfortunately, it's not the accounts of the Indigenous peoples of the Americas that are commonly heard, so of course it will sound "biased" because you are finally hearing a different perspective. Yes, the author "sides" with the Indigenous sides but think about it - Indigenous peoples are defending their homes and land against people who have CHOSEN to come to their homes to steal their land and either murder or control them. They could have just chosen to abandon the colonial project, and at this point, we need to be listening to Indigenous peoples for ways to create justice - not continue to support a government that still has a colonial 'relationship' with First Nations, Inuit, and Metis peoples and continues to deny treaty rights.

[klaudia katarzyna · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great comic book to learn the history of colonisation and resistance of Indigenous peoples.

[Sonic · Rating 4 out of 5]

The writing is not very strong, and the art, well,... it is kinda weak to be honest,
but the message is strong!

And the message is, it isn't over!

Sure American and Canadian historians occasionally lament the European colonists horrible and deplorable treatment of North America's indigenous peoples. But they are not doing anyone any favors, ... and that is another aspect that this book revealed that is so sad and disgusting.
These "historians" want to frame the conflict (tragedy) as being finished
while for many indigenous peoples in the U.S. and in Canada

THE STRUGGLE CONTINUES!!!

It was only through a comic book, published by some unheard-of independent publisher, that (to me) THIS SIDE OF THE STORY IS TOLD.

And because this tiny voice demands to be heard, I gave this 4 stars!

THE STRUGGLE CONTINUES!!!

[Kris · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is not really a work of art or literature - it is a message. The art is okay, the text is a bit jumbled, but this still manages to be powerful, if too short. Consider this a teaser for doing your own research into the stories behind the ones we are told in school.

[René Paquin · Rating 3 out of 5]

BD qui raconte l’histoire de l’Amérique, mais du point de vue des peuples autochtones. Il faut lire cette BD pour mieux connaître tous les faits marquants de l’histoire des Premières Nations. Le dessin est un un peu morne, répétitif, mais le contenu est vraiment pertinent.

[Stewart Tame · Rating 3 out of 5]

An interesting and somewhat sobering book. As the title suggests, this is the story of American Indian resistance to being driven out of their homelands. Much of this is history that few of us learned in school. It's a bit on the dry side, as history is wont to be, but It's well-presented and thoroughly researched. Hill's style is slightly crude, but serviceable. He doesn't harangue, but presents things in a very matter-of-fact manner. All in all, a most thought-provoking book.

[Joy-Marie Karahkwiio 🍉 Canadian · Rating 5 out of 5]

The ending made me a little teary eyed with pride.

If you don’t like history books, but you want to learn more about what native people have endured then this book is an easy read for you. In comic form the information is straightforward and digestible. Mind you this comic book is just a glimpse, a skim of the surface of what we’ve endured but it’s a great start for educating yourself. I even learned new history about other tribes that I had not known about before.

[Yasmin · Rating 5 out of 5]

The next chapter in this documentation of Resistance was the Idle No More Movement. Although a very brief history and thus a short and thin book this is an excellent visual read of 500 years of resistance.

[Mandy Partridge · Rating 5 out of 5]

I bought this comic book for my daughter, and it became my favourite souvenir of Canada.

[Tim Volker · Rating 1 out of 5]

A shame because I feel that I would probably sympathise with some of the authors political beliefs, however it just doesn't really work as a comic book. The last half of it reads like someone has condensed each story of resistance into a series of bullet points and then drawn a picture to go with them, which doesn't make for particularly gripping reading.

[Jeff · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an amazing graphic overview of indigenous resistance to Western colonialism. I have never seen any other book cover 500 years of history so effectively. I want to read it again.

[Megan · Rating 2 out of 5]

In May 2017, my boyfriend and I moved from Michigan to Georgia. I was hoping to find a book club, but with being a full time employee and a full time master's student, I had a very difficult time finding one that was available at a time I would actually be able to attend. But, finally, after more than a year, I have found a group! My first book for this group happens to be "The 500 Years of Resistance Comic Book" by Gord Hill.

To be quite frank, the only reason that I finished this graphic novel was because of this group, which meets tomorrow. I didn't want to show up for my first meeting without finishing the book.

There are two massive negatives that made the book difficult for me to read, and one positive that allowed me to give it two stars. To start, I found the art in the graphic novel to be extremely lacking. There was too much going on in the majority of the pictures, which made it difficult for me to try to look at. It's the reason that it took me three days to read a 70 page graphic novel. I constantly found myself skipping over the artwork to simply read what was written.

But the story of the novel is my next problem. There's not actually a lot in the graphic novel. For a historical piece that covers a 500 year period on two separate continents, it's very tiny. Every topic is skimmed over quickly, and the description of events is extremely brief. This book could have easily been a couple hundred pages, and truly should have been to adequately tell this history.

From there, there were also some instances of extreme bias that made me feel very uncomfortable. I understand the fight against colonization, and completely agree with the desire for indigenous tribes to want to reclaim their land and culture, but there are instances where Hill was clearly willing to blindly believe anything that the resistance fighters did was good. For example, there is a panel towards the end where a resistance group shoots at a helicopter, and the reason that Hill gives is that "It was really annoying!" I understand why the resistance was, you know, resisting, but writing that they were willing to shoot down a helicopter because it was annoying, and acting as if this is something to be applauded, is not something that I empathize with. I could more easily understand shooting at the helicopter if it was actively attacking them, or was there to spy on the resistance, but that was NOT the reason given. Just that it was "annoying". And that's not a good enough reason for me, especially considering the potential consequences.

The sole positive that I found within the book was that it introduced me to some of the modern resistance movements that I was not aware of. I did learn from the book, even if it was only a very shallow account of historical events.

[Sean Kottke · Rating 4 out of 5]

This has been sitting on my nightstand for quite a long time. The first half provides a fast overview of 500 years of invasion and resistance, and each panel seemingly relates a story that could be its own book. Names, dates, and places fly by like a timeline - just the facts, ma'am - without much framing commentary. The second half, though, is quite well-done, as the pace slows down, and the text and pictures weave together for a more focused consideration of indigenous affairs in the last 100 years across the Americas. This portion is remarkable for uniting events and movements in South, Central, and North America in common cause, and highlighting notable, successful acts of resistance to inspire hope. This section is particularly well-done as it provides a lens for thinking about more recent controversies not depicted in the book, such as Standing Rock or Enbridge Line 5. The linework has the solidity and tangible quality of woodblock prints. The author's stated purpose is to provide access to history and ideas to those who might not otherwise have access to them due to low literacy, and at that, he succeeds.

[Greg · Rating 3 out of 5]

First half ebbed and flowed between interesting and just too jumpy to follow and hold my attention. But the last part, the modern era, from "No Justice on Stolen Land" (p.61) onward had me hooked. I was at least familiar with most of the rebellions mentioned, but it was exciting to see them illustrated and brought to life a bit.

I think the best takeaway from those sections is that while modern rebellions and standoffs, like the 'Oka Crisis', served to protect some small pieces of land, they had a wider impact: in the words of Gord Hill, they served to "revitalize the warrior spirit of indigenous peoples and our will to resist..." I'm reminded of how important that warrior spirit is, how resistance movements will always require vigor and passion, since nothing will be won without a fight.

[Jennifer Pletcher · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book was about the Indigenous people's resistance to the Europeans coming to America. It covers the time from Christopher Columbus to the year 2006. It is a graphic novel depicting the Native Americans fighting back against the white settlers who took their land.



Not much to say about this short 80 page graphic novel. The author - who is Native American - glosses over 500 years of Indigenous people history. He moved so fast from one event to the other, it was hard to make sense of the book. I think if he would have broken it up into several graphic novels, it would have held more weight for me. I didn't get much out of it, or learn much about the history he was trying to depict, because there just wasn't enough detail.

[Lara · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book gives an overview of a fair number of events of resistance by indigenous people in the Americas. They cover five centuries of continuing invasion by Europeans. At one point, it even specifies how most of the European invaders were from cultures that had been previously invaded by and assimilated into Roman/Latin culture. So this is really about the ongoing erasure of local native cultures across the planet. The only drawback of the book is that it sometimes feels like a recitation of statistics of how many people battled and how many died over what period of time. I appreciate the portions that really show the human effects of this violence and domination. These are important stories.

[Sinéad O'Brien · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a phenomenal and accessible overview of Indigenous resistance to colonization in North America. It challenges so many dominant narratives about colonization and presented me with new information about stories of resistance in the territories I occupy. The conclusion gave me goosebumps. Required reading for settlers, for sure. My biggest lamentation is that this isn't used more widely in curricula as a challenge to settler Canada's iteration of history.

I can't believe I didn't know this book existed until a week ago. I wish I had read it years ago! Very excited to read Gord Hill's other work.

[Mija · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a very poignant historical account. While it is quick to read, it is of course not easy to digest the information - due to the sheer breadth of it and the horrible realities.

The introduction really really got to me on a personal level. Additionally, reading about some of the more recent Canadian events I had hardly heard anything about (except for one actually, in grade 10 history), was very illuminating.

Overall, very worthwhile and I'm glad I read it in time for my class. I hope to expand on this knowledge with other material too.

Anyway, in terms of a rating I'd say 3.5ish because of a couple things, mainly that I wasn't the biggest fan of the art style.

[Nick · Rating 4 out of 5]

- An odd, if fascinating introduction by Ward Churchill

- An excellent exploration of "Indigenous resistance to the European colonization of the Americas", particularly relating to Canadian and west coast examples, but also including healthy doses of insight regarding Central and South America

- I learned a fair bit

- I gained a renewed appreciation for how I was born, and live on, stolen land

- I gained even more respect for Indigenous Peoples

- The book could have used a bit more content, and more editing

- Obviously, very biased -- but a bias that was left out of historical works for much of recorded history

4.4 Stars

[Mallory · Rating 2 out of 5]

Needed voice in history classrooms. Short sections make it accessible and adaptable for easy classroom use. Writing and art are straightforward.

Can use in ELA for graphic novel format, nonfiction, telling the story of a larger resistance and then a smaller one of their own, easily adapted since coloring is black and white on purpose- opens up author choice in coloring too. Can compare with grayscale for Lighter Than My Shadow, vivid color of Delirium vs. black for Death, grey for Destiny, richer more Victorian hues in 1604...etc,etc

[W M]

The book is worth the price simply for its outstanding introduction by Ward Churchill.

I knew about the Zapatista's armed struggle in the 90s. I did not know about the numerous armed resistances in Canada in the last quarter century or so.

The book is 10 years old, and it does touch upon genocide through spreading disease. The science may have changed on this recently.

I would like to see an equivalent book for other continents.

It can be hard to follow the panels at points, and some abbreviations of the words are not quite obvious.

[Marcus Woodman · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rife with stories and information about Indigenous resistance from Columbus to Aazhoodena. I learned so much from this relatively brief comic, and recommend it to folks looking for a quick read about the stuff they don't teach you in American schools. The art is also great and very detailed, though I found the panels themselves to be arranged in a somewhat confusing manner, as far as page composition goes.

[jo · Rating 4 out of 5]

a super valuable resource that i will return to many times throughout the years. i learned a lot about Indigenous resistance especially in 'Canada' and am excited to share excerpts from this with my students! be aware that although it's a comic book, the material might be graphic for some ages. my only thing was that i sometimes got confused by the panel order of reading, but not enough that it detracted from the super important content.

[Emma McIver · Rating 4 out of 5]

The imagery and storytelling in this comic book are phenomenal. A great way to change the narrative of indigenous peoples in North and South America. The metaphors in the images alone make this comic worth reading. My only issue is the large amount of data (through people and nation names, and dates) thrown at you in a short period of time make it hard to absorb any one story. Instead it gives you an overall feeling instead of facts.

[Angie Pinchbeck · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this collection of glimpses into the history of Native resistance in the Americas. I learned a lot by looking further into each bit, and I found the illustrations to be a lovely addition. I would recommend reading it bit-by-bit instead of just in one shot, as I think it's better absorbed this way.

[Greg Bem · Rating 5 out of 5]

An incredible documentation of indigenous/native responses to colonization and terror since the European settlers arrived in "the Americas." It should be required reading--especially since it's written in such an accessible way. I'd add the colonization of Hawaii and Puerto Rico to the next edition.

[Chris Allan · Rating 4 out of 5]

An east to read compendium of how indigenous people have been fighting colonization in the western hemisphere for generations. I was familiar with most of the situations described but not the details so I learned a lot. The book emphasized violent resistance mostly but toward the end in described many of the civil disobedience resistance including blockades and occupations. Worth a read

[Ruby i · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book attempts to cover SO much history in a digestible format. It is a massive undertaking that has served me as a useful introductory tool to jump start further learning. This comic book offers a birds eye perspective on colonial history that is frankly very hard to find. The writing and art are straightforward and plain, but effective.

[Sara Houle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow! J'ai adoré! Cette BD résume les luttes autochtones en Amérique. Toutes ces luttes, rassemblées et racontées du point de vue des Premières Nations! Je crois que tout le monde devrait lire cette BD en complément des cours d'histoire que nous avons tous reçus. C'est nécessaire.