Published: 2019
Author: Brianna Jonnie, Nahanni Shingoose
Illustrator: Neal Shannacappo
Genres: Graphic Novels, Nonfiction, Indigenous, Canada, Comics, True Crime, Teen, Contemporary, Feminism, Native American
Audience (Grade Levels): High School; Grades 7-12
Number of Stars: 5-Stars
Goodreads Link: If I Go Missing
Triggers: Mention of rape, assault, murder, and systemic police neglect
Review By: Karen Fenner
Publisher’s Summary:
Combining graphic fiction and non-fiction, this young adult graphic novel serves as a window into one of the unique dangers of being an Indigenous teen in Canada today.
The text of the book is derived from excerpts of a letter written to the Winnipeg Chief of Police by fourteen-year-old Brianna Jonnie ― a letter that went viral and was also the basis of a documentary film. In her letter, Jonnie calls out the authorities for neglecting to immediately investigate missing Indigenous people and urges them to “not treat me as the Indigenous person I am proud to be,” if she were to be reported missing.
Indigenous artist Neal Shannacappo provides the artwork for the book. Through his illustrations he imagines a situation in which a young Indigenous woman does disappear, portraying the reaction of her community, her friends, the police and media.
An author’s note at the end of the book provides context for young readers about Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls in Canada.
Review:
Inspired by the letter written by 14 year old, Brianna Jonnie to Winnipeg’s chief of police, this illustrated book brings voice to what being an Indigenous teen in Canada means today. The book includes an informative essay which provides readers with the context of the Missing Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls in Canada inquiry. Told in spare text with stark black-and-white illustrations peppered with occasional red accents, this book raises the issue of perceived societal worth by examining incidences of missing indigenous women. Based on a true story and using the excerpts of a letter written by an indigenous teenage girl, this book demands we examine our cultural biases and ask more of our law enforcement agencies and of the media. The argument is that when indigenous youths go missing, and less police and media attention is provided, the message received is that their lives don’t matter – leading to a broader cultural perception of being lesser which has the potential to lead to more violence and exploitation. This book provides much to discuss and educators can further the conversation with students by using the online tool Are You Press Worthy – a website that calculates how much press coverage a missing person will get based on their age, race, sex, and location. Calculations are based on actual current reporting in America and are designed to expose bias and advocate for change.
Classroom & Curricular Connections:
- Social Studies & Civics (Systemic Bias & Institutional Justice): This text serves as a powerful curriculum asset for exploring systemic racism, institutional neglect, and the social inequalities embedded within judicial and law enforcement systems. High school educators can use Jonnie’s raw text to guide students through an analysis of how societal worth is unevenly distributed across racial lines.
- English Language Arts / Media Literacy (Rhetoric & Media Bias): The text offers an exceptional platform for teaching rhetorical analysis and media representation. Students can analyze how social media, news agencies, and the police disproportionately cover missing person cases, actively building awareness about how the media can shape or diminish a demographic’s perceived humanity.
- The “Are You Press Worthy” Digital Investigation: Capitalizing on the reviewer’s explicit recommendation, have students engage with the online analytical platform “Are You Press Worthy”. Students will input varying demographic profiles to calculate the staggering discrepancies in media coverage based on race, age, gender, and geography, using the results to discuss strategies for driving actionable systemic change.
- Visual Narrative & Symbolic Element Study: Inspired by Neal Shannacappo’s distinct visual layout, lead a library workshop examining visual rhetoric. Students will study how the stark black-and-white graphics paired with strategic red accents influence the emotional tone, convey communal trauma, and express profound urgency.
Diversity & Representation:
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If I Go Missing stands as an invaluable tool for critical representation, explicitly centering authentic Indigenous voices and lived experiences. Created by an Indigenous youth author and an Indigenous illustrator, the book directly counters Eurocentric perspectives, granting deep structural visibility to the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls (MMIWG) crisis while demanding systemic accountability.
Readalikes:
- Surviving the City by Tasha Spillett
- Sugar Falls: A Residential School Story by David A. Robertson
- This Place: 150 Years Retold by Kateri Akiwenzie-Damm, et al.
