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.
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 License.
Recommended Citation
Begoray, D., & Brown, A. (2018). Empowering Indigenous Learners through the Creation of Graphic Novels. Journal of Media Literacy Education, 10(3), 132-151. https://doi.org/10.23860/JMLE-2018-10-3-8
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