Representations of the Colonization of Indigenous Peoples in Canadian and Australian Picture Books

This project will compare representations of the colonization of Indigenous populations in Canada and Australia in picture books. The paper will explore how authors and illustrators express the complexity of colonization to child audiences. I intend to examine which textual and visual techniques most effectively and accurately communicate colonization and post-colonial stories to young readers, ultimately considering whether Canadian or Australian texts employ these techniques more successfully. Some primary texts I intend to study include A Coyote Columbus Story by Canadians Thomas King and William Kent Monkman and The Rabbits by Australians John Marsden and Shaun Tan. Conducting research for this project in Canada and Australia alike will allow me to engage intimately with the history, art, literature, and picture-book culture that inspired each text I examine. The Globalink program will ultimately enable me to produce a rich, timely, and authentic analysis of significant Canadian and Australian picture books representing the colonization of Indigenous peoples.

Faculty Supervisor:

Naomi Hamer

Student:

Partner:

Deakin University

Discipline:

Sociology

Sector:

Indigenous

University:

Toronto Metropolitan University

Program: