Young Ryan Fox gets good grades, but he’s not sure what he wants to be when he grows up. It isn’t until he meets a Blackfoot doctor during a school assembly that he starts to dream big.
However, becoming a doctor isn’t easy. University takes Ryan away from his family and the Siksikaitsitapi community, and without their support, he begins to struggle. Faced with more stress than he’s ever experienced, he turns to partying. Distracted from his responsibilities, his grades start to slip. His bills pile up. Getting into med school feels impossible. And now his beloved uncle is in jail. Can Ryan regain his footing to walk the path he saw so clearly as a boy?
This inspiring graphic novel for young adults is based on a true story.
Gitz Crazyboy (he/him/his) is a Siksikaitsitapi (Blackfoot) and Dene father and youth facilitator from Mohkínsstsisi (Calgary). Gitz's passion and purpose is helping, guiding, and most importantly, learning from the next generation, and he has held many positions within the youth education profession.
As an activist, Gitz is known for his leadership and participation in establishing the Bear Clan Patrol in Calgary, as well as organizing with the Idle No More movement. He has spent most of his life learning and living with different Indigenous Nations around the world. His travels have taken him to Germany, Ecuador, Guyana, Puerto Rico, and sacred spaces all over North America.
Currently Gitz resides in Calgary and is actively reconnecting with his Siksikaitsitapi roots. He believes the truth of who we are can be found in the beautiful things our ancestors carried―riddles, mysteries, ceremonies, songs, medicine, love, life, and laughter.
Veronika Barinova (she/her/hers) is an emerging illustrator currently living in Calgary. She has a Bachelor in Visual Communication Design from the Alberta University of the Arts, and works primarily in digital media. Born in Moscow, Russia, Veronika is inspired by the 90s, occult fiction, and Slavic folk tales. Her work focuses on creating engaging characters and immersive worlds for readers, and her stories often have mystical or supernatural themes with a comedic undertone. Her work appears in Giju’s Gift from the graphic novel series Adventures of the Pugulatmu’j.
Azby Whitecalf (they/them/theirs) is a Plains Cree character designer and illustrator based out of North Battleford, Saskatchewan in Treaty 6 Territory. A graduate of the Alberta University of the Arts, they hold a Bachelor Degree in Visual Communication (Character Design). Their artistic practice focuses on fun and exciting stories with memorable and unique characters, and they enjoy working with bright colours, strong contrast, and fun shapes. Azby is passionate about creating accurate and positive representation of Indigenous Peoples and cultures, as well as exploring how to portray Indigenous Peoples in a way that celebrates multidimensional identities.
Toben Racicot is a comic book writer and letterer whose work has appeared in Crown & Anchor, Pilgrim's Dirge, Beastlands, Sidequest, and Juniper. He dreamt of being an aerospace engineer before failing high school physics. Now he studies role-playing games at the University of Waterloo.
