Reading Our Relations in the Past and the Future: A Métis Approach to Reading Wahkohtowin in katherena vermette’s A Girl Called Echo (2017-2021)

Abstract

This paper explores Métis author, katherena vermette’s graphic novel collection, A Girl Called Echo (2017-2021) for the ways in which it presents Wahkohtowin-centered storytelling. Engaging with genre conventions of post-apocalyptic narratives, and Métis theory of Wahkohtowin and Indigenous resurgence, this reading of vermette’s text draws connections between historical fiction and futurity. This close reading examines Echo’s journey to connect with her ancestors, grow in her relations with her present-day relations, and consider her roles as a descendant and an ancestor to the future. Through an exploration of these relationships, this paper argues for a Wahkohtowin-centered reading of Métis literatures.