New graphic novel brings Indigenous youth voices and climate research to life
June 18/2026
Waakebiness Institute for Indigenous Health (WIIH) project translates public health research into creative, community-driven storytelling.
By Ishani Nath
A new graphic novel from the Waakebiness Institute for Indigenous Health (WIIH) is reimagining how public health research can reach communities.
The Gathering Place: Toaando, produced by WIIH at the Dalla Lana School of Public Health, transforms research on the climate crisis and its disproportionate effects on Indigenous youth in Toronto into a compelling story of a wanderer learning from their community.
Dr. Suzanne Stewart, lead investigator on the project, says, “Translating public health research into community-centered formats isn’t just a ‘nice-to-have’ communication strategy; it is a fundamental requirement of Indigenous research ethics, data sovereignty, and health equity.”
The Gathering Place: Toaando brings together art, Indigenous storytelling and health research created in consultation with Elders and youth from community partners.
“The graphic novel was created to translate research data into a format that is more tangible and accessible for youth and community members,” said Ethan Faulk, an Indigenous Community Research Assistant at WIIH and one of the youth who contributed to the project from concept to production. “We wanted to present the information in a creative and engaging way.”
The team at WIIH used the format of a graphic novel after the success of their 2018 graphic novel A Place in the Circle: Home and Homeless in the Big City. Faulk shared that at powwows and other community events, A Place in the Circle was “always a hot ticket.” WIIH aims to build off that momentum by offering a second knowledge translation product in the same medium.
Dr. Suzanne (Ethsi) Stewart
The central research question of The Gathering Place graphic novel is: What are the mental health impacts of climate change for Indigenous youth and what services are needed to support youth?
“The project began with an initial research phase that helped inform the story and its themes. Following this, a team of youth collaboratively developed the narrative through storyboarding sessions,” says Faulk. “Throughout the process, Knowledge Keepers Sioux Lamure and Elder Luana Shirt guided the work to ensure the story remained culturally safe and stayed true to the youths’ original vision and messaging.”
The Gathering Place: Toaando follows a wanderer who visits a powwow and ends up on a quest for knowledge and guidance. Along the way, the wanderer encounters four characters: Waaseya, the Firekeeper, Odemin, the Singer, Kevin, the Oshkaabewis (Helper), and Kakhewistahaw, a 2-Spirit Dancer. Through these encounters, the wanderer learns about issues ranging from the growing threat of wildfires to the impact of “chemical valley” in Sarnia, Ontario and Indigenous approaches to healing and environmental protection. The wanderer also learns ways they can work with their community to create change.
Ethan Faulk
“The narrative draws on traditional knowledge to help guide the wanderer toward purpose within the context of the climate crisis,” says Faulk. The research project, funded by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research and the University of Toronto, created this narrative using mixed methods; including Indigenous talking circles (qualitative data) and surveys (quantitative data), created in consultation with Elders and youth from community partners.
In addition to the wanderer’s story, The Gathering Place: Toaando includes a list of Indigenous mental health resources and a glossary of Ojibwe, Cree and Algonquin terms and phrases used in the novel.
“While the graphic novel is primarily intended for Indigenous youth, I hope it is accessible and meaningful for anyone who reads it,” says Faulk.
Copies of The Gathering Place: Toaando are available at the Waakebiness Institute for Indigenous Health (Suite 400, 155 College St, Toronto) and were distributed at the Graphic Novel Launch Party on June 11, 2026. Grounded in research but driven by storytelling, the graphic novel reflects an innovative approach to public health knowledge mobilization.
“I hope readers take away a sense of hope, belonging, and meaning,” says Faulk.
