Dawn Land

by Joseph Bruchac, Will Davis (Adapter)

Ten thousand years ago, in what would one day be known as North America, Young Hunter set out on an epic quest to overcome the Stone Giants who were terrorizing his people. Pitted against creatures of legend, Young Hunter journeyed to the innermost heart of his own humanity, even meeting the very gods of the land. He was entrusted with his tribe's most dangerous secret, a weapon that would change mankind forever.

Inspired by the classic Joseph Bruchac novel, Will Davis brings a timeless story to life, as the lore of old spawns a thrilling new kind of graphic novel. Drawing from the enduring creation myths of the Abenaki nation, Dawn Land immerses readers in Young Hunter's vision quest and offers a fresh perspective on the Native American experience.

Genres: Graphic Novels, Comics, Historical Fiction, Fiction, Fantasy, Young Adult, Native American

313 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1993

About the author

Joseph Bruchac lives with his wife, Carol, in the Adirondack mountain foothills town of Greenfield Center, New York, in the same house where his maternal grandparents raised him. Much of his writing draws on that land and his Abenaki ancestry. Although his American Indian heritage is only one part of an ethnic background that includes Slovak and English blood, those Native roots are the ones by which he has been most nourished. He, his younger sister Margaret, and his two grown sons, James and Jesse, continue to work extensively in projects involving the preservation of Abenaki culture, language and traditional Native skills, including performing traditional and contemporary Abenaki music with the Dawnland Singers.

He holds a B.A. from Cornell University, an M.A. in Literature and Creative Writing from Syracuse and a Ph.D. in Comparative Literature from the Union Institute of Ohio. His work as a educator includes eight years of directing a college program for Skidmore College inside a maximum security prison. With his wife, Carol, he is the founder and Co-Director of the Greenfield Review Literary Center and The Greenfield Review Press. He has edited a number of highly praised anthologies of contemporary poetry and fiction, including Songs from this Earth on Turtle's Back, Breaking Silence (winner of an American Book Award) and Returning the Gift. His poems, articles and stories have appeared in over 500 publications, from American Poetry Review, Cricket and Aboriginal Voices to National Geographic, Parabola and Smithsonian Magazine. He has authored more than 70 books for adults and children, including The First Strawberries, Keepers of the Earth (co-authored with Michael Caduto), Tell Me a Tale, When the Chenoo Howls (co-authored with his son, James), his autobiography Bowman's Store and such novels as Dawn Land, The Waters Between, Arrow Over the Door and The Heart of a Chief. Forthcoming titles include Squanto's Journey (Harcourt), a picture book, Sacajawea (Harcourt), an historical novel, Crazy Horse's Vision (Lee & Low), a picture book, and Pushing Up The Sky (Dial), a collection of plays for children. His honors include a Rockefeller Humanities fellowship, a National Endowment for the Arts Writing Fellowship for Poetry, the Cherokee Nation Prose Award, the Knickerbocker Award, the Hope S. Dean Award for Notable Achievement in Children's Literature and both the 1998 Writer of the Year Award and the 1998 Storyteller of the Year Award from the Wordcraft Circle of Native Writers and Storytellers. In 1999, he received the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Native Writers Circle of the Americas.

As a professional teller of the traditional tales of the Adirondacks and the Native peoples of the Northeastern Woodlands, Joe Bruchac has performed widely in Europe and throughout the United States from Florida to Hawaii and has been featured at such events as the British Storytelling Festival and the National Storytelling Festival in Jonesboro, Tennessee. He has been a storyteller-in-residence for Native American organizations and schools throughout the continent, including the Institute of Alaska Native Arts and the Onondaga Nation School. He discusses Native culture and his books and does storytelling programs at dozens of elementary and secondary schools each year as a visiting author.

Reviews

[Emm Bee · Rating 4 out of 5]

An amazing story, gracefully and elegantly retold in graphic form, I thoroughly enjoyed "Dawn Land." My only regret was how quickly it ended; I felt that a couple more pages of Young Hunter's journey home would have allowed for a more gentle release from the story.

That said, I loved this tale of an ancient New England and the people and mythologies that were here 10,000 years before us. Young Hunter is on a quest to defeat the Stone Giants, actual giants who terrorize and make meals of the "Only People." He is aided by his three wolf companions and by powerful spirits(Otter Woman, White Buffalo Woman, and a host of greater Beings); he is troubled and sometimes confounded by his cousin, Weasel Tail, who is estranged from his tribe and serves the Stone Giants. There is a saber-toothed cat in this story; not many of those around in literature these days!

I have added the original novel by Joseph Bruchac to my "to-read" list; I am intrigued enough by this graphic version to want to read the source. Happily recommended to anyone that enjoys American History, Native American History, and adventure tales.

[Pauline · Rating 4 out of 5]

As a child, I distinctly remember cleaning out my local library's selection of myths/legends/and tales from around the world. There must have been around 40 books and I just couldn't get enough of them. When I had read all there was to offer, I was disappointed and wanted more. So, when I saw a graphic novel based off of a Native American tale, it was like I was a child again.

I really enjoyed Dawn Land. In a nutshell, it has all the basic elements of a fantastic legend. There is a prophecy/legend and a child that sets out to fulfill it. Along the way there is love, death and redemption along with the introduction of a weapon that becomes standard in a lot of Native American culture.

So, if you enjoy any legends of the sort you are sure to enjoy this graphic novel.

[Emilia P · Rating 2 out of 5]

I understand that this was lovingly, thoughtfully made (thanks to the afterword) and I can say that the art was beautiful and haunting but, heck, I could not, for the life of me, follow it, and the things that happened just seemed hazy and disjointed to me, and so there is my jerk review. I think this book could have been wonderful with a bit more third-person narrative authority, but, lacking that, it was unfollowable for me. I am meanie.

[Don · Rating 3 out of 5]

The art for me was beautiful and very effective at both telling a story and setting a mood/tone. As a lifelong lover of sequential art in all its variations, I loved it.

The story is dense and dramatic and, unfortunately, at this time, very slow paced. The art and the pacing gave it a meditative quality which didn’t quite work with the subject matter (and maybe it’s just my quarantine mood).

It took me about 5 months to read this book that has, relatively speaking, very few words. It was beautiful and I enjoyed it but also dense and not something I wanted to pick up every day.

Then again, the art is like nothing I had seen. I want the art hanging on my walls.

[Shannon · Rating 5 out of 5]

The imagery is absolutely striking. I felt genuinely terrified at points while reading this, not something I think I've ever experienced in a graphic novel.

[Nic · Rating 3 out of 5]

A fascinating book, full of the seemingly well-researched details of a culture very different from that of modern America. I'd recommend it to anthropologists, or those interested in prehistoric cultures or way-old American Indian history, just for that. Its unique voice, too, made the book interesting - the fact that it was written by a traditional Native American storyteller really shows. The descriptions especially are beautiful, simple, and poetic, and the straightforwardness makes the shocking parts all the more shocking.

As a novel, Dawn Land has some issues. The protagonist, Young Hunter, is - to me, anyway - annoyingly perfect. As is almost everyone he encounters, although unlike Young Hunter, the rest of the cast has at least one evident flaw: not being as good at anything as Young Hunter is.

Young Hunter is, I think, seventeen. A lot of his positive traits are realistic given his upbringing: he's strong, fast, atheletic (in every possible way, extending to sports he's never before tried in his life . . .), easygoing, and borderline obnoxious in his thankfulness about everything. These last two, in particular, appear in most of the characters. They thank various nature spirits for every conceivable thing, leaving small offerings everywhere and frequently addressing creatures and objects aloud. This is pretty neat to see, really, but does get a little tiresome eventually.

The easygoing thing, too, seems cultural, but it simply goes way over the top, especially when combined with the competition that frequently arises. It seems like every other chapter, Young Hunter wrestles someone - and not to spoil you, but he wins every single solitary wrestling match in the book - only to have his defeated opponent spring up laughing and embrace him like a brother. Even near-strangers who were, until then, the best wrestlers in their villages. He competes in sports that he's never before tried, beats the village champions immediately, and gets the heartiest cheers from those he's just beaten and those who wagered against him. Seriously? Kind of made me wish we'd find out that one of them was making nice while secretly plotting to kill him.

Possibly the way in which I am least able to relate to Young Hunter is his total self-assurance. The only way he ever seems to feel even slightly insecure is romantically, and that's a pretty small part of the book. Otherwise, his "spirit seeing" keeps him pretty darn sure of himself, telling him the way, promising he'll return safely, etc. I think the author really tried to give Young Hunter some nervousness occasionally, but these passages were always brief, and Young Hunter tells himself off every time he even considers faltering. All that while also never getting angry, no matter what happens. Honestly, all of his smiling and laughing was starting to annoy me - I couldn't help but picture some of his smiles as superior, "Oh, you," expressions, even though I'm pretty sure they weren't meant that way.

The two big structural issues in the book were the late appearance of the antagonists and the many, many detours into Native American culture. These are absolutely fascinating, but they do slow the story. And I mean "slow" in the sense that the presence of the Atlantic "slows" a trip between America and England. At least one entire chapter consists of a story Young Hunter has heard that actually doesn't turn out to be especially important. Otherwise, just be aware that every time Young Hunter picks up a basket, you are going to read a page about the process by which his people make these baskets, the first time Young Hunter ever made such a basket, and how important it is to thank the spirits of the trees for donating their bark for basket-making.

*Some actual spoilers*

In the column of good stuff, oddly enough, come the villains, who show up very late to the party but make up for it by bringing a rare vintage bottle of Creepy as Hell. Weasel Tail, when he makes his reappearance - pretty obviously coming, if you read the author's introduction - is also super-creepy. I'm a little unclear on what the Hunter actually is. A sabre-toothed cat? Some kind of giant wolverine?

I'll also admit that I was genuinely a little unsure as to whether Young Hunter would go back to Willow Girl or stay with Redbird. I'm glad he went back, if only because Willow Girl was about the only thing in the book to make him nervous. I found his first encounter with Redbird to be patronizing. She's fighting for her life because she's just been raped and seen her family killed and eaten, and here he is, effortlessly blocking her blows while smiling because gawsh, the lady can fight! Not nearly as well as Young Hunter, of course, but then who can?

So, an unusual and interesting book. I enjoyed it, but will also enjoy going on to read something with a more well-rounded protagonist and balanced plotline.

[Virginia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Part of what I liked about this book is that it's set in the area between the Hudson & Connecticut Rivers, north of where we live but similar terrain. Also, it takes place in "pre-contact" and/or "ceremonial" time (terms I learned from the book jacket) at the end of the last ice age and our newspaper has been running a series of articles on ancient stone and cave formations that are mysterious and unexplainable unless, to judge by this book, Indian mythologies provide the answers, which is also to say that farmers removing stones from fields do not explain the formations. Mr. Bruchac is an Abenaki storyteller who says in his forward that the book is, in its way, an historical novel, but his story takes place before language as we know it existed -- makes it rather tricky conveying modern concepts. I think Mr. Bruchac does a fine job of it 90% of the time.

[Joselito Honestly and Brilliantly · Rating 2 out of 5]

Ho-hum. Nothing really unique about the story: one supposedly special man, some friends, great ancestral past, friendly spirits, guiding dreams and apparitions, powerful enemies, a special weapon, moments when everything seemed lost. Like in what, The Lord of the Rings?

Lazy readers and those who appreciate good illustrations or drawings may rate this higher, however, since this is a graphic novel. The dialogue is sparse but one really needs to pay attention to some details in the characters (male and female) because at first glance they'd all look as the same Indian in black and white, except some of the women with bare breasts with nipples like raisins.

[[Name Redacted] · Rating 5 out of 5]

A beautiful and evocative adaptation of Bruchac's pre-historic mythical epic, a tale of the first bow and the defeat of the stone giants based in North Eastern Native American legends (specifically, Abenaki). I felt, while reading it, as though I were back in the forests of my childhood homes, wary of the hairy men and the blood-drinking skeletons.

[Emily D · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF at 39%

I don't care for the art and the story feels slapped together. There were whole panels of nothing and the art wasn't breathtaking enough to support that. This was not for me.

[Jennifer Delamarter · Rating 1 out of 5]

This is a read I was much anticipating, since “The Winter People” by this same author, Joseph Bruchac, is one of my favorite Native fiction reads. Unfortunately, this book was clearly written with adults in mind, not children. And it has things in it that I, even though an adult, cannot in good conscience fill my mind with.

The first thing that gave me warning bells was the introduction’s reference to the story’s cannibal giants. Still, I thought, that’s accurate to that culture’s lore and may not be a problem if handled with discretion and taste. The first chapter of the book presented no insurmountable obstacles, although containing a heavy emphasis on Native spirituality.

The tipping moment for me came in Chapter 2. A young man meets a woman who he notices is not so old that he can cease to have sexual awakenings around her. It doesn’t stop there, though. The woman caresses him and then smears his naked body all over with clay. She continues her strange ritual that is supposedly to prepare the young man to be one who talks with spirits. It might have been navigable, but the comments about the boy’s sexual feelings were turning me off more and more. Finally, when she started making allusions to and jokes about the young man’s sexual organs, I had had enough. The nature of the joke was just very sensual and the reading was overall tainted in a sexual way. I threw the book in the trash.

I could see how some people might be able to read this book and not be too much affected. But for me, the lewd content is the kind that sticks in my head and haunts me when I am most trying to keep my thoughts pure. Also, I just don’t see how filling your mind with this kind of thing could glorify God. This book is harmful to children and unhealthy for adults.

I do not recommend “Dawn Land” or any other books from this Bruchac series.

[Travis · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was an interesting read. It reads as both an earnest attempt to weave an exciting adventure story from the myths, lore, and (somewhat) history of ancient American Indians, and also very much like a typical late-20th-century fantasy novel by someone too enamored with Joseph Campbell and his heroic archetypes (and the interesting twist that the wondrous weapon of great power the hero is granted is a bow). It works better than it seems like it should, though maybe it is doing a disservice to the beliefs behind the story to think of it as a fantasy? The art is good in my opinion, though I found it hard to tell some characters apart, especially Young Hunter and Weasel Tail (though maybe that was intentional?). And speaking of Young Hunter, I didn't really catch on immediately that that was his name, and not a description/title that people called him by.

Part of the story feels like a dig at archaeological interpretations of the early settlement of the Americas, and the impact of people on megafauna, but I wouldn't really want to argue about it.

I had not been aware that this was originally a novel. I'm a bit curious how it compares to the graphic novel adaptation, but sadly my library system doesn't own the book, and I'm not so curious that I want to put the effort into tracking it down.

[Michael Hogan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Both of my children read this book back in the Nineties when it first appeared. In addition, I recommended it to our school librarian where I was teaching, and the school purchased multiple copies. It is a thrilling, ageless tale of Young Hunter, a native Abenaki (“people of the Dawn Land”) called upon to defend his people against invaders who will bring disaster to the people of his tribe and to the integrity of the land itself.

What follows is a dangerous journey in what is both a coming-of-age novel and a fascinating insight into the day-to-day lives of native people.

What makes the story even more compelling are the grace notes of detail that Joseph Bruchac with his own native inheritance provides the reader. (It is obvious that an earlier reviewer was unaware of this.)

My grandchildren read the book more recently (my dog-eared copy) so I know that the story still has the power to fascinate the younger generation.

I am excited to see this long overdue re-issue of the original with new artwork but with the original lyrical language (Bruchac is also a well-known poet), useful insights into a sustainable way of life, and a compelling adventure. High recommended.

[Ashley · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a fantastic story and beautifully illustrated, its a bit darker and more.. real than anticipated. There are definitely real-world issues touched on (more than touched on) within the pages alongside the more fantastical or mythological elements that we see pay throughout the story.

I, honestly, look for any opportunity to engage with stories and myths from a variety of cultures that I have never heard of or have only seen glimpses of. This would be kind of like a retelling of one of those. It has the feel, it has the shock factor in some places and while it was not what I expected, it made me crave more.

[Eric Jenks · Rating 5 out of 5]

Growing up in the Adirondacks and having the pleasure of knowing the Bruchac family since my early childhood, Dawn Land was read cover to cover more times than I can remember growing up. It’s a wonderful story that honors the many different indigenous cultures of the Northeast, and a classic that has never left my bookshelf.

It’s well worth the read, and I’m glad that it’s being reprinted for more to enjoy.

[The Bla · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is such an amazing book! I'm so happy to have stumbled across it by looking up all that Joseph Bruchac has done. This is a masterpiece to me. If you love comic books and you love native culture or native myth you need to read this book. I wish there was more to consume. I will also be reading the book on which this is based by Joseph Bruchac. It was fantastic!!!!

[Kyle Raymond · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really liked the illustrations throughout this graphic novel and the story itself was phenomenal. I'm hoping to read the novel soon to get the full story. I found the pacing in the graphic novel quite odd and there wasn't a direct acknowledgment when time has passed, making it a little confusing at times. Overall, good read! I can't wait to read the novel.

[Joe · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was a little tough to get through. I wouldn't call it a page turner. But I was determined to get through it because I didn't see much else in the same category of Native Americans telling stories about themselves before European arrival. If anyone has other suggestions feel free to comment them.

[Douglas Graves · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a fun read. The art work is absolutely beautiful! The story good. I would recommend it.

[Mercurymouth · Rating 5 out of 5]

My guess is the FIRE HUNTERS are the white men who destroyed the way of the native Americans.

Enjoyed this graphic novel.

[Erin]

I enjoyed the story, the quest-like setup, the action and adventure, the redemption arc. I struggled with deciphering between some of the characters through the art.

[Barbara · Rating 3 out of 5]

DNF. Too slow for me but I like the author

[conway 🥕 · Rating 4 out of 5]

lovely illustrations that flow with the legend. my first introduction to having to “read” pictures (only dialogue was written). beautiful new england history

[Taina · Rating 1 out of 5]

It was very confusing, I didn't like the art style, there was quite a few instances of naked bodies and attempted rape, and all of the characters looked the same.

[Jay Wright · Rating 4 out of 5]

brilliant

[Kathleen · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fascinating and gripping story! I read it all in one gulp. I loved the black and white pictures, and found the animals especially lifelike in a reduced, abstract way. Who doesn't love a good quest against evil monsters threatening all life on Earth?

[Cornerofmadness · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is set in Pre-European America centered around the First Peoples, in particular the Abenaki of what's now New England. It has a firm root in Abenaki myth and while it doesn't call the villains of the piece the Giwakwa, ice Giants of Abenaki lore, that's pretty much what they have to be. I have not read the novel this is adapted from but I might go and look for it.

It opens when the hero of the story is just a baby. The giants attack and murder most of his family except his cousin, Weasel Tail who does not escape unscathed. One of the giants marks him with a deep cut to his chest, saying the boy will serve him later.

The tale jumps several years to when Young Hunter is a young man. Weasel Tail is slowly ostracizing himself from the tribe before they can make it official. The giant has left behind a stain of evil on the young man and as he gets to be an adult it's revealing itself, culminating in a near rape. Weasel Tail is then gone from the village.

Young Hunter, on the other hand, is assigned an almost mystical and Herculean task. He is to stop the coming evil (i.e. the return of the giants). He is given an item by an elder, told only not to reveal it and he is to go to the salmon people. Before he goes, he does spend time with Willow Girl, a childhood friend who wants to be his wife (you see where this is going).

Young Hunter faces many dangers, from the elements themselves, sabertooth tigers and other hostile tribesmen. He is shown what the tool is, not actually a spear but a more advanced weapon for distance (to give you an idea of how far back in time this is set). His only companions for much of it are three dogs until he gets to the land of the long lodge (Iroquois) and much of this goes quickly because the Iroquois language is depicted as a series of scribbles as Young Hunter doesn't know the language and thanks to the evil Weasel Tail is doing at the beck and call of the Giants, he has no friends among these people.

Obviously Young Hunter has to face the giants and his cousin has to either give completely in to the evil inside him or reject it. The ending is good though I would have liked to see him return to his village.

I enjoyed the story. I have spent decades reading and researching Native American stories and this felt like it could have been one of them. The art is interesting. It feels to fit the tail in many ways but on the flip side some of the proportions are odd and the faces very similar.

I was shocked a little by the language when he meets his 'cousins' among the Salmon people. I'm the first to tell you that graphic novels don't have to be for kids and even some of the story isn't completely kids safe (Young Hunter sleeps with at least two women for example and there is nudity but nothing that would have been outside the realm of what most likely was acceptable to these tribes at that time). However the couple of f-bombs and the derogatory use of the word 'pussy' seemed honestly out of place and jerked me out of the story.

Other than that I really liked this.

[Whitney · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed the story and writing style, and would consider reading the original novel. However I did not always like the art, which I feel prohibited me from fully investing in the experience of reading this graphic novel. Basically, the art was inconsistent, sometimes gorgeous and perfectly capturing the mood and detail of a scene, other times it was just downright bad. I appreciated the blurry, dream-like style because I felt it contributed to the mythic quality of the story, but unfortunately this same quality also caused the images to appear muddy, which sometimes made it difficult to tell what was happening. The characters were also poorly rendered, so I often couldn't tell who was who from one panel to the next. The plot was relatively simple and straightforward enough that rereading a page or so usually cleared up any confusion though.

Somehow the blurb on the inside cover gave me the impression that this was a re-telling of an ancient Native American legend, which excited me. Perhaps it was the phrases "ancient lore comes alive" and "the enduring creation myths of the Abenaki nation." Guess I skimmed over the phrase "adapted from Bruchac's novel." Oops. Upon reading the author's afterward I learned the story originally came to him in a dream. So it's NOT an actual legend—just a mythic-ish story employing elements from ancient legend. I ultimately have no problem with that. I just wish I hadn't read the whole book under this false pretense. Oh wells.

[Jason · Rating 5 out of 5]

I went into this book with no expectations and was pretty thoroughly blown away by it. Based on the novel of the same name by Joseph Bruchac, this book uses Native American myths to tell the story of two cousins set 10,000 years in America's past, where one young man is blessed by fate and the other is cursed by it.

From my review: "As a plot, Dawn Land seems fairly ordinary, but its execution, particularly artistically, is nothing short of extraordinary. Davis has a measured storytelling style, steadily moving each panel from moment to moment with a lyrical grace similar to Goseki Kojima’s work on Lone Wolf and Cub. The pages of Dawn Land are filled with silent passages and beautiful shots of mountainsides (the latter more implied with quick brushstrokes than explicitly drawn, to wonderful effect). Davis inks his figures with brushed, chunky outlines and scratchier shading lines, then covers the pages in rich, painted gray tones, giving the panels the feel of charcoal drawings. The artwork isn’t instantly striking—this isn’t a book that blows you away as soon as you crack the covers—but it serves the story so wonderfully that the reader can’t help but be swept up in Young Hunter’s story."

Read the rest here: http://www.playbackstl.com/comic-book...

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

So "Dawn Land" by Joeseph Bruchac has been on my mental to read list for a long time. I enjoy Native American stories and writers, plus it won wheelbarrows full of awards. So imagine my surprise when I found there was a graphic novel adaptation of it. Now usually adaptations leave me a bit... nervous. There are a lot of bad ones out there. And having not read the original source material I cannot tell you if it's a faithful adaptation.

But as a graphic novel, it was BEAUTIFUL. It's a classic hero's journey tale, ripe with tragedy and trials and magic. But it is also firmly rooted in the Abenaki legends and traditions that create a lush world with it's own unique mythology. Once I started reading I couldn't put it down.

And the art by Will Davis was so perfectly suited for this story, capturing everything from quiet woodlands to roaring giants. The two main characters, Young Hunter and Weasel Tail, are perfectly distinct in their art, making it sometimes fun and sometimes chilling to watch their stories unfold.

I also need to add that the cover art on this is GORGEOUS. This might be one of the best covers I've ever seen for an adult (ie not superhero) graphic novel. Even the texture of the paper they used brings the reader right in and makes the story simultaneously epic and incredibly real.