Work is well underway on the next phase of Xwémalhkwu Hero Stories: A Graphic Novel (2024), with a focus on translation, digitization, and the creation of flexible educational materials for classroom use.
This new initiative, which is led by ongoing Project Lead Tchadas Leo in collaboration with Drs. Bonny Norton and Liam Doherty in UBC’s Department of Language and Literacy Education, has begun digitizing the original graphic novel, starting with the careful collection and organization of existing artwork, text, and reference materials. This content is now being adapted for mobile and desktop access, ensuring that the stories can be read easily across devices. A new website framework has been developed to host the stories alongside related teaching resources, marking an important step toward broader public and educational access.
The stories have already been translated into French, with exciting plans ahead to translate them into ʔayʔajuθəm as well. Future phases of the project will also include audio recordings of the stories being read aloud. When complete, readers will be able to seamlessly switch between English, French, and ʔayʔajuθəm versions—both reading and listening to the stories in each language.
Beyond the narratives themselves, the digital platform will include an illustrated glossary and interactive pop-up translations for Homalco terms used throughout the stories. These features are designed to support language learning and cultural context, making Xwémalhkwu Hero Stories more accessible to a wide range of readers, educators, and classrooms.