Weaving survivance and visual sovereignty: graphic novels as catalysts for Indigenous resurgence

Indigenous graphic novels have become critical sites for reclaiming cultural narratives through visual storytelling grounded in Indigenous knowledge systems. Examining the graphic novels If I Go Missing, Will I See?, and the Surviving the City series, this paper analyzes how they amplify Indigenous voices and counteract the systemic erasure of Indigenous women, girls, and Two-Spirit individuals. Using close textual and visual analysis based on Indigenous methodologies, it argues that these graphic novels exercise visual sovereignty, promote solidarity, and contribute to the global Indigenous movement, positioning them as powerful tools of survivance, resistance, and reshaping public perception of Indigenous realities.