Paying the Land
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- Update Date：2025-09-06
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- Author：Joe Sacco
- ISBN：1910702587
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Summary
The Dene have lived in the vast Mackenzie River Valley since time immemorial， by their account。 To the Dene， the land owns them and it is central to their livelihood and very way of being。 But the subarctic Canadian Northwest Territories are home to valuable resources， including oil， gas， and diamonds。 With mining came jobs and investment， but also road-building， pipelines， and toxic waste， which scarred the landscape， and alcohol， drugs， and debt， which deformed a way of life。
In Paying the Land， Joe Sacco travels the frozen North to reveal a people in conflict over the costs and benefits of development。 Sacco recounts the shattering impact of a residential school system that aimed to “remove the Indian from the child”; the destructive process that drove the Dene from the bush into settlements and turned them into wage laborers; the government land claims stacked against the Dene Nation; and their uphill efforts to revive a wounded culture。 Drawn by noted cartoonist， R。 Crumb。
In Paying the Land， Joe Sacco travels the frozen North to reveal a people in conflict over the costs and benefits of development。 Sacco recounts the shattering impact of a residential school system that aimed to “remove the Indian from the child”; the destructive process that drove the Dene from the bush into settlements and turned them into wage laborers; the government land claims stacked against the Dene Nation; and their uphill efforts to revive a wounded culture。 Drawn by noted cartoonist， R。 Crumb。
Reviews
Nancy Peifer
，
I really don’t like graphic novel format， but at the recommendation of my son， I read this one。 I’m so glad I did。 It’s not a fun read as it is the living history of a Canadian First Nations group， the Dene， who have been terribly mistreated。 But the format actually brings the history to life and into focus in a way a pure text may not have been able to。 I recommend it as an important book， made more accessible by its format。 May all readers learn from it and learn more about the impact of a peo I really don’t like graphic novel format， but at the recommendation of my son， I read this one。 I’m so glad I did。 It’s not a fun read as it is the living history of a Canadian First Nations group， the Dene， who have been terribly mistreated。 But the format actually brings the history to life and into focus in a way a pure text may not have been able to。 I recommend it as an important book， made more accessible by its format。 May all readers learn from it and learn more about the impact of a people’s history on their present circumstances—something too many of us have wanted to ignore or worse， deny。 。。。more
okrabooks
，
Trabajo periodístico extenso y muy cuidado。 Ilustraciones en blanco y negro con todo lujo de detalle。 Vale mucho la pena su lectura si os interesa el tema de los pueblos indígenas， el proceso de colonización y las consecuencia de la misma。
Maricruz
，
Leer este cómic te destruye toda impresión de Canadá como país especialmente civilizado y «buenecito»。 Me ha coincidido casi su lectura con la de noticias que hablan del hallazgo de más de 200 cadáveres de niños y niñas en un internado para indígenas， de modo que me ha ayudado a contextualizar ese horror， y enterarme del genocidio perpetrado por las autoridades canadienses y la irremediable pérdida cultural que ha supuesto para los amerindios de esas tierras。 En lo que no cae este cómic es en el Leer este cómic te destruye toda impresión de Canadá como país especialmente civilizado y «buenecito»。 Me ha coincidido casi su lectura con la de noticias que hablan del hallazgo de más de 200 cadáveres de niños y niñas en un internado para indígenas， de modo que me ha ayudado a contextualizar ese horror， y enterarme del genocidio perpetrado por las autoridades canadienses y la irremediable pérdida cultural que ha supuesto para los amerindios de esas tierras。 En lo que no cae este cómic es en el simplismo de presentar a estos como meras víctimas del colonialismo （que víctimas son， no cabe duda）， sino que， al darles voz， presenta la siempre compleja elección a la que se tiene que enfrentar un pueblo que ha visto su forma de vida tradicional prácticamente destruida: ¿rechazar de plano las prospecciones mineras y el fracking？， ¿volver a un modo de subsistencia respetuoso con la naturaleza pero increíblemente duro， y mucho menos fructífero ahora que hace años， debido al calentamiento global？ ¿O participar en la gestión y los beneficios de la extracción de petroleo y gas natural de unas tierras que al fin y al cabo les pertenecen， y de lo que esa riqueza puede proporcionar a los indígenas？ Es， como todos los cómics periodísticos de Joe Sacco， una lectura densa， y tengo la sensación de que Sacco lleva tanto tiempo desarrollando este estilo de trabajo， que a estas alturas es un virtuoso del periodismo gráfico。 Bravo por él。 。。。more
Karyl
，
Recently， the news has broken that the remains of 215 Indigenous children were found on the grounds of a residential school in British Columbia， reinforcing the terror and fear and abuse that many Indigenous children endured when forcibly taken from their parents and relocated to these schools。 This book was written before the news of the Kamloops school broke， but Joe Sacco discusses the awful legacy of these residential schools in these pages。 It’s a difficult part of the book to read， to lear Recently， the news has broken that the remains of 215 Indigenous children were found on the grounds of a residential school in British Columbia， reinforcing the terror and fear and abuse that many Indigenous children endured when forcibly taken from their parents and relocated to these schools。 This book was written before the news of the Kamloops school broke， but Joe Sacco discusses the awful legacy of these residential schools in these pages。 It’s a difficult part of the book to read， to learn how the Indigenous children were ripped from their communities， and then forced to be as Euro-Western as possible， losing their language and their traditions along the way， and resulting in alcohol and drug use， as well as domestic abuse for the adults these children later became。That isn’t the only issue Sacco discusses in this book。 He also covers the way in which the colonizers took the land from the Indigenous peoples that lived in what became the Northwest Territories， people who believed that they belonged to the land， not the other way around。 He also explores the ways in which resource extraction can be both a blessing and a curse to these people， as well as their efforts to have the land returned to them。I really enjoy Sacco’s books; he always lets the people he interviews speak for themselves。 He also makes sure he finds people on both sides of an issue so that a fuller picture can be presented to the reader。 His artwork is always incredible， very detailed and meticulous in its rendering。 And you can tell his research is incredibly thorough。 Sacco is one of my favorite authors from whom to learn about issues in today’s world。 。。。more
Pam McCombs
，
Joe Sacco has done an extremely thorough graphic reporting of the indigenous people of Canada's Northwest Territory。 It's more like an ethnographic study of the five Dene bands of indigenous people that have lived on this land for many millenniums。 People who believe the land owns us not the other way around。 The many interviews with chiefs and their families are very informative as well as sad， inspiring， hopeful， and disheartening。 The images draw you into the culture， the environment， and the Joe Sacco has done an extremely thorough graphic reporting of the indigenous people of Canada's Northwest Territory。 It's more like an ethnographic study of the five Dene bands of indigenous people that have lived on this land for many millenniums。 People who believe the land owns us not the other way around。 The many interviews with chiefs and their families are very informative as well as sad， inspiring， hopeful， and disheartening。 The images draw you into the culture， the environment， and the many issues plaguing the indigenous。 。。。more
Hans
，
Joe Sacco shares the stories of the Dene， their traditional culture， and their internal and external clashes with the Western colonial culture。 Sacco's interviews and images draws out many of the complexities and directly addresses the source of the largest personal and cultural issues: 150 years of residential schools that separated children from families， broke the link to language and often accompanied this with physical and sexual abuse。 Sacco bookends the volume with stories of how people l Joe Sacco shares the stories of the Dene， their traditional culture， and their internal and external clashes with the Western colonial culture。 Sacco's interviews and images draws out many of the complexities and directly addresses the source of the largest personal and cultural issues: 150 years of residential schools that separated children from families， broke the link to language and often accompanied this with physical and sexual abuse。 Sacco bookends the volume with stories of how people learned the traditional ways of life。。。learning while doing。 It's not about documenting and studying how to do something before you actually can consider doing it。。。you just need to start。 （I see that echoed in a project like this which was noted to be a 60-page comic that evolved into a much larger book。 How do you start something like this？ You might start with a plan， but mostly it is simply doing the work and continuing the work and asking for feedback to refine the work。 And knowing when to interview。。。and when to simply experience the world。）---Early on （pg。 25）， there's a great use of the comics medium。 The truck Joe borrows to travel to the remote communities hits a pole。 He draws this impact with several dollar signs （$） erupting from the point of impact。 Nice touch。 Also appreciate the balance of how Sacco presents and foregrounds the people who are sharing the stories with images from the stories。 He's got the right touch for presenting this kind of work。 。。。more
Miriam Blair
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Devastating but so interesting and important。 Actually less devastating than it could have been。 But I don't like the drawings。 Devastating but so interesting and important。 Actually less devastating than it could have been。 But I don't like the drawings。 。。。more
Ashley Brooks
，
This book was beautiful and heartbreaking。 Reading about the Dene people of the remote communities of the NWT through a graphic "novel" made the information accessible but also allowed for the time to digest the information while exploring the images。 This is part graphic novel， part history， part cultural studies， part journalism and 100% required reading。 This book was beautiful and heartbreaking。 Reading about the Dene people of the remote communities of the NWT through a graphic "novel" made the information accessible but also allowed for the time to digest the information while exploring the images。 This is part graphic novel， part history， part cultural studies， part journalism and 100% required reading。 。。。more
Dave
，
This book broadened my horizons。 Brought some context to the the Enbridge line 3 pipeline debate and other projects like it。 Really made me think and left me in awe how a nomadic people can live of the land without all these modern conveniences。 Some things that are described made me feel really sad。 But they happened。 They are true events。 And the truth hurts sometimes。 Well drawn。 Is this seriously hand drawn？ If so I'm really impressed at all the detail。 There's still hope to those telling th This book broadened my horizons。 Brought some context to the the Enbridge line 3 pipeline debate and other projects like it。 Really made me think and left me in awe how a nomadic people can live of the land without all these modern conveniences。 Some things that are described made me feel really sad。 But they happened。 They are true events。 And the truth hurts sometimes。 Well drawn。 Is this seriously hand drawn？ If so I'm really impressed at all the detail。 There's still hope to those telling this story。 That's what I'm going to hold onto。 。。。more
Nallasivan V。
，
Brilliant and nuanced！ Joe Sacco has stripped the layers of development vs heritage debate and presents a picture that goes beyond binaries
Claire Clark
，
Another outstanding work by journalist Joe Sacco。 Paying the Land is nuanced， gorgeously illustrated （I appreciated Sacco's more mature and less garish style in this book as compared to Palestine）， and thoughtful in its approach to the challenges facing the Dene people of the Northwest Territories in Canada。 I appreciated how Sacco pursued a wide variety of voices。 He told the stories of the Dene people with dignity and amplified the voices of the men and women working to honor and maintain thei Another outstanding work by journalist Joe Sacco。 Paying the Land is nuanced， gorgeously illustrated （I appreciated Sacco's more mature and less garish style in this book as compared to Palestine）， and thoughtful in its approach to the challenges facing the Dene people of the Northwest Territories in Canada。 I appreciated how Sacco pursued a wide variety of voices。 He told the stories of the Dene people with dignity and amplified the voices of the men and women working to honor and maintain their cultural identity。 I highly recommend this outstanding piece of comic journalism。 。。。more
Brianne Morris
，
The stories of the Dene people are so complicated and complex that is similar to what I had experienced in Nehiyewak country when it came to resource extraction。 The author did an impressive job in detailing the various viewpoints on the issues of historical trauma， colonialism， Indigenous rights， land claims and resource extraction on Indigenous lands。 There were many varied ideas about natural resource extraction on Indigenous lands。 On one hand， we have the group who are against extraction to The stories of the Dene people are so complicated and complex that is similar to what I had experienced in Nehiyewak country when it came to resource extraction。 The author did an impressive job in detailing the various viewpoints on the issues of historical trauma， colonialism， Indigenous rights， land claims and resource extraction on Indigenous lands。 There were many varied ideas about natural resource extraction on Indigenous lands。 On one hand， we have the group who are against extraction to protect the environment and their people's health。 Then we have another group who are for extraction in hopes of a better， stable economy to help their people to be more independent and self-reliant rather than relying on government welfare。 But there were people who fell in the spectrum between these two groups。 When it comes to industrial developments especially built and operated on Indigenous lands， it is not a straight black and white narrative to explain。It's a complex issue that has plagued many Indigenous communities across Turtle Island where we want to have a better self-sustain future but the only way to do this is to utilize the natural resources around our environment。 It's a mix of feelings between hope， guilt， relief and even anger。 I really highly recommend this book to understand that complexity in great detail than I can ever do。 But I did have some reservations about this book。 Mainly it was the hardcover edition that was very difficult to keep open and balance throughout my reading of it。 But that did not affect my rating。 I just wanted to give a heads up to those who are going to buy the hardcover edition because it was a big effort to concentrate on reading and holding it open properly。 。。。more
Joanne Fox
，
I read 65% of this book but I just couldn't get into it。 I really really tried because the art was beautiful and the author's previous book Gorazde was fairly good。 But， in 'Paying the Land'， there seemed to be no thread of story to hold it all together。 It felt like reading a massive pile of facts interspersed very occasionally with really interesting information about the lives of the Dene。 This is definitely not a book for me。 I read 65% of this book but I just couldn't get into it。 I really really tried because the art was beautiful and the author's previous book Gorazde was fairly good。 But， in 'Paying the Land'， there seemed to be no thread of story to hold it all together。 It felt like reading a massive pile of facts interspersed very occasionally with really interesting information about the lives of the Dene。 This is definitely not a book for me。 。。。more
Natalie
，
Cannot emphasize the importance of this book enough。 I am using this to teach a cross-curricular course （ELA/Science） in high school about the effects of colonization on the environment。
Melissa
，
Sacco does what he is best at here - the kind of journalism we lose in the 24 hour news cycle - an examination of complex issues by focusing on a variety of voices and viewpoints。 I appreciated the chance to learn more about the Dene and the challenges they face， not just related to resource extraction in their territories， but also the complexity of negotiating land rights and sovereignty when Treaty 8 spans so many provinces and territories。
Deborah
，
The black and white detailed sketches depicted the life of the Dene tribe who lived in the Canadian Northwest Territories。 Aman recounted his life as a boy born in the wilderness of the Mackenzie River Valley and raised by his nomadic tribe。 He was taught to respect and to learn from nature， animals， and the spirits。 He believed he was being groomed by the tribe for a leadership role。 At a young age， both sexes taught him their tasks as their were no separate roles， because you never knew when y The black and white detailed sketches depicted the life of the Dene tribe who lived in the Canadian Northwest Territories。 Aman recounted his life as a boy born in the wilderness of the Mackenzie River Valley and raised by his nomadic tribe。 He was taught to respect and to learn from nature， animals， and the spirits。 He believed he was being groomed by the tribe for a leadership role。 At a young age， both sexes taught him their tasks as their were no separate roles， because you never knew when you would be alone and have to fend for yourself。 You looked what needed to be done and did it。 It took a tribe to raise a child。 The tribe was family as everyone was related by blood or marriage。 Unfortunately， mining， roads， pipelines， toxic waste， alcohol， drugs， and poverty drastically changed their way of life。 Aman was one of the many Dene tribe that were written and drawn in meticulous detail by the talented comic journalist Joe Sacco。 He traveled with his guide and driver， Shauna Morgan， to meet with and learn about the lives of these indigenous people。 There were a French priest， the son of a famed dog sledder， tribal and governmental leaders， activists， men and women， a teacher， a tv host， counselors， and many more。 A woman recounted of an eyewitness to the 1921 treaty with Canada which was interpreted that the Dene could stay on the land “as long as the sun kept going overhead， and as long as the river didn’t flow backwards。” Oral pledges and stories in the Dene’s culture were more important than written treaties。 In reality， the Dene gave up their rights and “and all their land for $5。00 a year， for some bullets and fishnets。”Jim Antoine spoke of how the Dene finally got to tell their stories during the Berger inquiries in the 1970s “on a proposed natural gas pipeline through the MacKenzie River Valley” and for the Dene to get back their land。 The Paulette case recognized aboriginal rights。 The Dene sought to negotiate a collective land claim with the federal and territorial rights， which ended unsuccessfully when the tribal coalitions dissolved。The Dene’s culture， traditions， laws， and customs were dying。 Temporary nomadic life depending on the land， the tribe， and oneself changed to permanent homes relying on governmental jobs or welfare。 A form of colonization occurred。 Alcohol abuse， sexual assault， domestic violence， and suicides within the Dene are much higher than the national average。 One of the worse tragedies and atrocities was the residential school system， which was in practice for 150 years and became mandatory for aboriginal children to attend in 1920。 Children were “‘rounded up’ by a priest， an officer of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police， and/or an Indian agent。” Threats were made against parents if they did not surrender their children。 The children were removed from their parental influence （who were considered savages） to industrial schools “to acquire the habits and modes of thought of white men” as stated by Sir John MacDonald， Canada’s first prime minister。 The schools were used “to break the bond that children had with their families and their land。” Marie Wilson， one of the three commissioners on the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada to gather testimony about the school system in 2008 after a lawsuit had been brought by former students was shaken by their findings。 “Schools were used essentially as a weapon for assimilation and acculturation and christianization – and their intent was the diminishment of everything that the children 。。。 felt that they were as individuals and a collective。” @150，000 indigenous children were in the residential school system of which “more than 6，000 - four percent - died from disease， neglect， abuse， or other injuries while in the system’s care。” The survivors were forced into Catholicism and suffered emotional， physical， and spiritual abuse and haunt many to this day。 Upon returning to their home after graduation， the children had difficulty acclimatizing and turned to alcohol and drugs。 There was a lost of language， knowledge， and skills in the land and tribal ways and customs for those who attended residential schools creating a generational gap of missing knowledge。 In 2008 Canada formally apologized for the residential school system。 In 2015， a final report declared that Canada and its churches were guilty of “cultural genocide。” The Dene respect the land and pay homage to it。 Former Chief Edward Jumbo stated， “Without the land we cannot be Dene。 Without the land we don’t have integrity。 We would be a weak people without the land。”The Dene are trying to find a balance between the old ways and the modern world， between the environment and economy， and between nature and technical。 They have hopes and visions for the future。 Many young men do not work nor are they motivated to work。 Many are dependent on the welfare system。 Some support fracking， mining and resource extraction of gas， oil， and diamonds， and others do not。 Toxic waste， mining， and development has ravaged the land。 There is a “battle between this land-based philosophy that 。。。 exists in our communities [and] this need or urgency for economic development from resource extraction。” Traditions are changing and knowledge is being lost。 Ski-Doos replaced sleds。 Elders are aging and dying。 “The Dene way of learning is to observe and do。” Now they have to be taught and supervised。I loved the ending threading together the past， present， and the future。 A fantastic visual read。 。。。more
Mark
，
（A version of this review was published， in German， in the Swiss comics journal STRAPAZIN。）Time flies。 While working on this review I realized， with surprise， that it was almost exactly twenty years ago that Joe Sacco visited my old apartment in the West Village of New York City—an apartment well-known to more than a few cartoonists， writers， and editors。 During his stopover we recorded a lengthy interview， excerpts from which were featured way back in Strapazin #66， March 2002。 SAFE AREA GORAŽD （A version of this review was published， in German， in the Swiss comics journal STRAPAZIN。）Time flies。 While working on this review I realized， with surprise， that it was almost exactly twenty years ago that Joe Sacco visited my old apartment in the West Village of New York City—an apartment well-known to more than a few cartoonists， writers， and editors。 During his stopover we recorded a lengthy interview， excerpts from which were featured way back in Strapazin #66， March 2002。 SAFE AREA GORAŽDE had just been published to great acclaim and the collected edition of PALESTINE was in preparation。 Lauded with awards including an American Book Award and a Guggenheim Fellowship， Sacco was on his way to being recognized not merely for bringing the creativity and ethos of “new journalism” to comics but for setting a comics reportage bar that has probably not yet been matched。In spite of his immediately recognizable style， Sacco is a quiet cartoonist， and as such we may underestimate how very talented he is。 His books are not “easy” reads: Sacco is as much a teacher as he is a storyteller， and his work demands intelligence， attention， and patience。 His drawings， while more confident with each book， don't appear to come easily—the complex cross-hatching reminds one more of steel engravings than sketches。 His books reward re-reading， not just to savor the draughtsmanship but to take in the inventiveness of his layouts and how he scatters text boxes across the page like sticky notes， pulling your eyes along with his images and voice to the point where you often forget you’re reading a graphic novel。Sacco’s latest book， PAYING THE LAND， finds him in the vast snowy expanse of Canada’s Northwest Territory， about as far as could be imagined from his frequent desert haunts in the Middle East。 The book offers a complex and subtle study of the Dene， the tribes of indigenous peoples whose traditional lives in and on the land have been utterly transformed by encroaching “civilization，” especially the petroleum industry。 Sacco never reduces his reporting to polemics: he details the lives of these people as unique individuals， struggling with both tribal and individual responses to inexorable modernization。 Progress threatens traditional ways of life—but is it possible to resist progress， and would anyone in the shoes of these people really be idealistic or stubborn enough to try？ As in many of his other works， Sacco tells his story through living subjects who have strong if not always sure voices。 One of the triumphs of this book is that Sacco the narrator seems to be struggling along with his readers to make sense of issues like education， labor， tradition， commerce， race and identity， nature， political treaties， and substance abuse to determine who is good or bad， right or wrong。 Yet， Sacco knows well that life is rarely black-and-white， but rather grey， and the richly textured monochromes of his artwork reflect that ambiguity beautifully。At a time when many of us are rightfully lamenting the apparent death of journalism， Sacco powerfully reminds us that there are many “unknown” stories worth telling and shows us how they can be told with empathy， curiosity， and love。 。。。more
Annie L
，
Wow！ Tout un portrait de l'histoire et la réalité des Premières Nations des Territoires du Nord-Ouest！ Je croyais connaître leurs enjeux， mais j'étais loin d'avoir un début de réflexion sur le sujet。 J'avais déjà lu Joe Sacco dans Gaza 1956 qui m'avait profondément transformée。 Je peux assurer que le phénomène a été similaire cette fois encore。 Un véritable travail de moine， une oeuvre fort impressionnante！ À lire sans hésitation！ Les Premières Nations méritent que nous reconnaissions leur passé Wow！ Tout un portrait de l'histoire et la réalité des Premières Nations des Territoires du Nord-Ouest！ Je croyais connaître leurs enjeux， mais j'étais loin d'avoir un début de réflexion sur le sujet。 J'avais déjà lu Joe Sacco dans Gaza 1956 qui m'avait profondément transformée。 Je peux assurer que le phénomène a été similaire cette fois encore。 Un véritable travail de moine， une oeuvre fort impressionnante！ À lire sans hésitation！ Les Premières Nations méritent que nous reconnaissions leur passé et que nous nous intéressions à leur réalité actuelle。 。。。more
Tavi
，
Una altra gran obra de Joe Sacco。 Com és habitual en ell， tracta un tema rellevant i sensible amb profunditat i atenció al detall， fugint de tot maniqueisme。 Un 10。
Marie-Pier Dodier
，
Situation du peuple Dene dans les Territoires du Nord-Ouest。
ISMOTU
，
I think this book is a must read。 It shows a complicated situation with a lot of the historical context required to really appreciate some of the nuance of the lives of the Dene。 Sacco is respectful of the stories shared with him and does a good job communicating the various points of view and time periods。
Lady Croissant
，
Una gran obra en cuanto a documentación y creación gráfica， hecho habitual de Joe Sacco。 Quizá la parte del guión es en este libro lo más flojo， ya que se hace un poco denso。
Elisabeth
，
Often moving and very informative， this is like reading a film。 Sacco is a close listener and does a good job of offering nuanced perspectives with great empathy and compassion and presenting people telling stories of their own experiences and identities。 This is a tragic book with some hope and a lot ofRespect。 Sacco both places himself in the story and stays out of the way。 Perhaps what we don’t learn is why this story is one he chose to do。 This was moving enough that I’m definitely planning Often moving and very informative， this is like reading a film。 Sacco is a close listener and does a good job of offering nuanced perspectives with great empathy and compassion and presenting people telling stories of their own experiences and identities。 This is a tragic book with some hope and a lot ofRespect。 Sacco both places himself in the story and stays out of the way。 Perhaps what we don’t learn is why this story is one he chose to do。 This was moving enough that I’m definitely planning to read his other books。 。。。more
Colin
，
Joe Sacco is a talent who manages every time to provide a deep synergy between image and text that makes his graphic novels uniquely informative and powerful。 He needs to work on his own and not let any other author dilute his efforts。 This powerful book about indigenous First Nation people of Northern Canada is a slow burn but leaves you with a deep and lasting impression。 It's like a documentary， only there is no obtrusive camera deterring Sacco's subjects from speaking intimately and honestly Joe Sacco is a talent who manages every time to provide a deep synergy between image and text that makes his graphic novels uniquely informative and powerful。 He needs to work on his own and not let any other author dilute his efforts。 This powerful book about indigenous First Nation people of Northern Canada is a slow burn but leaves you with a deep and lasting impression。 It's like a documentary， only there is no obtrusive camera deterring Sacco's subjects from speaking intimately and honestly。 The reader is on a journey with Sacco and on the way you learn not only history; the debacles， the depravity of well meaning government officials and the Catholic Church， but also the philosophy and world outlook of a nation unlike the society that surrounds and consumes them。 Sacco's lens shows us even the very real disagreements between the territories and the struggles to unite against a common foe: the Canadian government。 At one point， a subject even describes the perspective of the young Nuns who beat and humiliated Native American children into submission after the government forcibly kidnapped them from their parents。 As the government always soothes its victims; "we're here to help。" 。。。more
CJ
，
This is written for a non-native audience。 I feel like some of the images were flat caricatures and others were borderline disrespectful。 These issues are far to important to our community for 2 pages to be spent on the victimization of our children while 3 pages are given to the nuns who helped to hurt them？？ And how they are sad that their parents sent them to convents？？ NO。 If this is the first time you are reading about the problems with First Nations， then I guess this is “important” but fo This is written for a non-native audience。 I feel like some of the images were flat caricatures and others were borderline disrespectful。 These issues are far to important to our community for 2 pages to be spent on the victimization of our children while 3 pages are given to the nuns who helped to hurt them？？ And how they are sad that their parents sent them to convents？？ NO。 If this is the first time you are reading about the problems with First Nations， then I guess this is “important” but for those of us whose family has lived this: it’s more objectification and storytelling by non-natives without nuance。 If I could give it zero stars I would。 。。。more
Eric Benson
，
Another intense， detailed， and moving graphic novel by Joe Sacco。 This one about the Dene and other First Nations people in Canada。 Joe traveled to the Northwest Territories to interview and then tell the stories of the peoples there historically and now。 What is the future for these peoples？ A question left for everyone to ponder at the end。 So much possibility， but also so much in the way for the Dene and others to return to their culture and land that made them whole once before。 You can sens Another intense， detailed， and moving graphic novel by Joe Sacco。 This one about the Dene and other First Nations people in Canada。 Joe traveled to the Northwest Territories to interview and then tell the stories of the peoples there historically and now。 What is the future for these peoples？ A question left for everyone to ponder at the end。 So much possibility， but also so much in the way for the Dene and others to return to their culture and land that made them whole once before。 You can sense and feel the dedication and duty Sacco felt to tell an accurate and fair story of the Dene。 The details in the work are pure and consistent as the book goes on。 At no point do you feel he rushed the art to make the deadlines。 A moving story to say the least。 。。。more
Carlos
，
Me gustan mucho este tipo de reportajes periodísticos en forma de novela gráfica， y Sacco es un maestro en este tipo de trabajos。 Excepcional （aunque creo que está un escalón por debajo de otras de sus obras）。 Genocidio， colonialismo y capitalismo， desarraigo， pérdida de las raíces y de la cultura， lo difícil que es recuperarla。 Interesante， duro y a la vez de alguna forma esperanzador。
Anne Logan
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It’s important that as you read my review， you understand that this is my first Joe Sacco book。 Of course I’ve heard of him， but Paying the Land is the first book of his that has really appealed to me， maybe because it’s rooted in Canada and deals with Indigenous issues which I am fascinated by？ Anyway， I’m so glad I read it， it opened my eyes to something I don’t think many people （even Canadians） are aware of， and that’s the conflicting opinions of our Indigenous neighbors to the north。 So oft It’s important that as you read my review， you understand that this is my first Joe Sacco book。 Of course I’ve heard of him， but Paying the Land is the first book of his that has really appealed to me， maybe because it’s rooted in Canada and deals with Indigenous issues which I am fascinated by？ Anyway， I’m so glad I read it， it opened my eyes to something I don’t think many people （even Canadians） are aware of， and that’s the conflicting opinions of our Indigenous neighbors to the north。 So often we think of， and refer to them as one， but an American journalist has so clearly demonstrated why that is not only unfair， but harmful in the way we speak of， legislate， and interact with First Nations of Canada。 Now I want him to write about the American Indigenous Peoples， because I want so badly to learn more about their history as well。Book SummarySacco took a trip to the Northwest Territories of Canada， and this work of non-fiction is essentially a graphic memoir of that experience。 He also writes about the original way of life for many Indigenous peoples， which he connects to their present-day life and how resource extraction has altered it。 There is a significant portion of the book dedicated to explaining the horrific experiences of residential schools， of which Sacco gathered first-hand testimony of。 It is Canada’s dirty not-so-secret anymore， and even though I thought I had heard the worst of it， this book touches upon even more disturbing details Sacco’s interviews uncover。 Residential schools all weave into the overall understanding of our northern communities and the challenges they face。 Surprisingly， another topic dealt with in great detail is the land agreements and political maneuvers that happened over the years as the Canadian government became more and more interested in mining that land for it’s natural riches。 There are many different leadership figures in the northern First Nations introduced in this book which made it difficult to follow along at times， but Sacco excels at demonstrating the variety of strategies， opinions and viewpoints within the indigenous populations that can be found in this area of Canada。My ThoughtsIt seems odd that such a perceptive， empathetic， and informative book about Canada’s northern Indigenous communities has come from the pen of an American journalist， but here we are！ So many stories about the Indigenous experience have a motive， and although I don’t think that’s a bad thing， it’s a vastly different experience reading a book by a journalist who is just clearly fascinated by this complicated landscape and the people on it。 Although it seems almost impossible， Sacco stays as apolitical as possible， giving every side a fair chance to state their opinion and why they feel that way。 The illustrations themselves do most of the persuading， the terrified looks of children under residential school care are striking， and those sections in the books are particularly haunting。 Still， they are incredibly important in offering context of how this system （regrettably） shaped Canada’s Indigenous population， as well as explaining the affects of intergenerational trauma。The majority of the book is incredibly serious， but there are small glimmers of humour when Sacco pokes fun at his lack of outdoor experience。 Life in the north is not easy for anyone， and he’s lucky to have a guide （Shauna） who is adept at learning new skills on a snowmobile， but his incredulity at how remote some of these communities are is something most people can relate to。 I may be Canadian， but I’ve never been that far north before， so in some ways this book read a bit like a travel memoir。The Indigenous reverence for the land and the importance of its protection is something that all of Sacco’s interviewees agree on， but their opinions on how the land should be used is what varies。 The depressing cycle of alcohol abuse， welfare， dying economies and a lack of jobs is a war fought by many communities， yet it is more prevalent up north because of the residential school system， a boom/bust economy based on resources alone， and the general remoteness of the villages。 I appreciated the fact that Sacco sought out younger indigenous leaders who want to remain where they grew up， with a connection to their elders and their land， but are also forward-thinking enough to realize that something needs to change in order for them and their families to have a prosperous life。 Their optimism and fierce loyalty is a bright ray of hope in the book， and one that I was excited to read about。 Once again， this is yet another book about Indigenous populations that every Canadian should be reading。 I know I say that a lot， but I really do feel like reading and educating ourselves about the various challenges， struggles and triumphs they face will help us on our road to recovery， or at the very least， reduce the rampant racism indigenous people face here， and elsewhere around the world。 The fact that this book has beautiful illustrations to accompany this education is a welcome bonus。To read the rest of my reviews， please visit my blog:https://ivereadthis。com/Sign up for my newsletter here: https://ivereadthis。com/subscribe/Or follow me on social media！Facebook: https://www。facebook。com/Ivereadthis/Twitter: https://twitter。com/ivereadthisblogInstagram: https://www。instagram。com/ivereadthisYouTube: https://www。youtube。com/channel/UCD6E。。。 。。。more
Adam Dalva
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Excellent， winding graphic journalism looking at the consequences of resource extraction on Indigenous communities in the Pacific Northwest。 The narrative often soars， and is of course extremely depressing， especially in the segment on the Residential School System。 I lost a bit of the thru-line of narrative occasionally， w/ Sacco's presence and intentions a bit hard to keep track of， and it didn't feel like it knew how to end itself， but I very much enjoyed this， and learned a lot。 Excellent， winding graphic journalism looking at the consequences of resource extraction on Indigenous communities in the Pacific Northwest。 The narrative often soars， and is of course extremely depressing， especially in the segment on the Residential School System。 I lost a bit of the thru-line of narrative occasionally， w/ Sacco's presence and intentions a bit hard to keep track of， and it didn't feel like it knew how to end itself， but I very much enjoyed this， and learned a lot。 。。。more
Markéta Barochová
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tohle by si měl přečíst každej。 tečka。pohled na komunity původních obyvatel v Northwestern Territories v Kanadě。 pohled na jejich problémy spojený s historií kolonialismu。 Sacco úplně skvěle popisuje， co všechno způsobila nucená asimilace， rezidenční školy a všechno to ostatní。 především ale vysvětluje současný struggles mladejch indigenous lidí z týhle odlehlý krajiny， jejich vztah k zemi a to jak každej z nich vnímá těžařskej průmysl a s nim spojenou politiku kanadský vlády， provincií， ale i m tohle by si měl přečíst každej。 tečka。pohled na komunity původních obyvatel v Northwestern Territories v Kanadě。 pohled na jejich problémy spojený s historií kolonialismu。 Sacco úplně skvěle popisuje， co všechno způsobila nucená asimilace， rezidenční školy a všechno to ostatní。 především ale vysvětluje současný struggles mladejch indigenous lidí z týhle odlehlý krajiny， jejich vztah k zemi a to jak každej z nich vnímá těžařskej průmysl a s nim spojenou politiku kanadský vlády， provincií， ale i malejch měst a komunit。jedna z nejlepších věcí， co jsem kdy četla。 další tečka。https://open。spotify。com/episode/25Hm。。。 。。。more
Reference
google book https://www.google.com/search?tbm=bks&q=Paying the Land
hathitrust digital library https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/ls?q1=Paying the Land&field1=ocr&a=srchls&ft=ft&lmt=ft
The British Library https://bll01.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/discovery/search?query=any,contains,Paying the Land&tab=LibraryCatalog&search_scope=Not_BL_Suppress&vid=44BL_INST:BLL01&lang=en&offset=0