Indian Comics Irregular #40

NAIM Ministries, publisher of "Christian media for Native North
Americans," has produced two Native comic books. Called Dan Red
Eagle Comics, they're available on the Web at
http://www.indianlife.org/comics/dre_index.html.

Not surprisingly, these comics feature a Native man named Dan Red
Eagle. In the first issue ("Search for Power"), Dan is a rancher
seeking answers somewhere in Canada's west. Through the power of
Christ, Dan learns he can do anything: carry a friend to a hospital,
fight off a bear, or rescue someone from a plane crash.

Unfortunately, the first issue's writing, drawing, and coloring are
all a bit simple. The comic also loses points for making the fount
of wisdom an elder uncle in buckskins. It loses more points for
implying that Native religion amounts to worshiping animal
spirits--and that the Christian god is more powerful than the Native
god or spirits.

The second issue ("The Soul Catcher") takes place in British
Columbia. A cousin of Dan's commits suicide and another cousin flees
in despair. Dan must find her before she too makes a tragic mistake.

This issue is a big improvement over the first one. The Christian
message is still heavy-handed--indeed, it's the only reason these
comics exist. But several factors redeem it.

One, the art is more complex, with stylish layouts and cultural
details the first issue lacked. Two, the story shows Native people
in vivid settings: at a funeral, at a dance, on a fishing boat.
Three, these people face problems such as police hostility,
alcoholism, and suicide. This comic is about real life.

A note on religion: Nothing against this ministry or its work, but
is Christianity really the best choice for a people steeped in a
non-Western tradition? Many have noted how foreign it is to the
Native mindset. As Chief Seattle (Suquamish) said in 1854:

Your religion was written on tablets of stone by the iron finger of
an angry God, lest you might forget it. The red man could never
remember nor comprehend it. Our religion is the traditions of our
ancestors, the dreams of our old men, given them by the Great
Spirit, and the visions of our sachems, and is written in the
hearts of our people.

More Talk About Tonto

In the Hungry Mind Review
(http://www.bookwire.com/hmr/Review/tking34.html), Native writer
Thomas King ponders the true origin of the Lone Ranger. King
surmises the Lone Ranger wasn't ambushed, left for dead, and found by
the obliging Tonto. As he explains:

Sure, the rangers are ambushed, but none of them survives. Tonto
and a friend get unlucky and stumble on the bodies, and, before
they can get away, another group of rangers, or a posse, or a
bunch of vigilantes comes riding up.

The two Indians are trapped and have nowhere to go. They know
that if they're found surrounded by dead rangers, they'll be
killed. So, Tonto's friend, who is the quicker of the two, cuts a
mask out of a black handkerchief, puts it on so no one can see
that he/she is an Indian, and pretends to be a wounded ranger who
has been rescued by a "good" Indian.

Hmm. No wonder the Lone Ranger never took off his mask.

Pro Artist Joins Team

Blue Corn Comics' big news is that Rob Davis, veteran artist of such
books as SCIMIDAR and STAR TREK, has agreed to draw the next PEACE
PARTY comics. With Rob on board, we can finally continue Billy and
Drew's dashing adventures. For the details, visit
http://members.xoom.com/peaceparty/pr6.htm.

Rob Schmidt
Blue Corn Comics