As I Enfold You in Petals
Richard Van Camp takes us back to Fort Smith, NWT in Volume 2 of The Spirit of Denendeh series: As I Enfold You in Petals.
In Volume 2 we learn more about the people of Fort Smith, in particular Curtis and Benny. Curtis returns to Fort Smith sober after a stint in rehab and some time fighting wildfires. He arrives just in time to present Benny with a special gift and to negotiate the return of his family’s land. Curtis’ grandfather, Louis, was a healer and made a deal with the Little People to help him. Since Louis’ death, the Little People have gone quiet. Curtis wants to restart where his grandfather left off, he needs the house and land back from Benny so that he can help heal the community and, in turn, heal himself. Benny and his family think it’s a lost cause but Crow sees what they don’t.
It’s hard not to love everything about this series. Richard Van Camp’s powerful and immersive storytelling partnered with the striking images and colours created by Scott B. Henderson and Donovan Yaciuk draw in the reader and keep us coming back to the books to learn more each time we read them. They are stories of healing and of redemption. In both volumes 1 and 2, readers are introduced to men looking for hope, returning to Fort Smith to honour their families. Beyond the stories of redemption, readers also have a surprising and interesting villain in Benny. A tough character who has spent much of his life taking from Fort Smith but in fact is just a man looking for a fresh start himself behind the muscle and the scars.
As I Enfold You in Petals tells Curtis’ story and through Curtis we learn a little more of Benny’s story. Readers get more insight into Benny’s family, his love for his family and his desire to repair the damage he has created in Fort Smith. I’m really looking forward to the continuation of the story of Fort Smith and learning more about the people in the town as the series progresses. This graphic novel/comic teaches readers about Tlicho Dene culture and I loved how teachings and traditions have been seamlessly integrated into a very contemporary storyline. Books like As I Enfold You in Petals remind readers that Indigenous traditions and teachings are not something that was, but something that is alive and thriving today and will continue to do so long into the future.
I appreciate the extra learning Richard Van Camp gifts to the reader in this series. In As I Enfold You in Petals, we learn about Inuit tattooing, tunniit or kakiniit. Richard Van Camp shares his learnings with readers thanks to interviews and research from the artists themselves. We understand how colonialism affected the views of tunniit and how many Inuit women are reclaiming the art. Readers also learn about the comic creation process, how something goes from idea to the full blown comic we hold in our hands and the number of people who contribute to the work. A series that works double duty and one that demonstrates great care to all those who are represented.
