Revisiting the Birth of Snowguard

In a 2019 article for the Canadian newsmagazine “The Walrus,” our own Dr. Anna Peppard discusses the cultural context surrounding the debut of the Inuk Marvel hero Snowguard, in conversation with writer and filmmaker Nyla Innuksuk, who consulted on the character’s creation. 1/8

Amak Aliyak, codename Snowguard, first appears in Champions #19 (2019) written by Jim Zub with art by Sean Izaakse. She is an Inuk teenager from Pangnirtung, Nunavut who gains powerful shapeshifting abilities after freeing Sila, the Soul of the North, from an evil experiment. 2/8

In building the character, Zub reached out to Innuksuk for guidance. Innuksuk’s contributions are significant. She influenced the shamanic origins of the character and the character’s costume, based on her own history and context. Says Innuksuk: 3/8

“I’m fascinated by shamanism because I am the great-granddaughter of Awa, who is one of the last shamans in the Arctic. He himself had to turn away from the shamanistic tradition and join Christianity, while in Champions, we have Amka discovering those capabilities.” 4/8

Input from Innuksuk also inspired Snowguard’s visual design: “My sister-in-law, who is from Pang, Amka’s hometown, sews amazing jackets, and a lot of them incorporate contemporary design, like bomber jackets and blue-dyed seal… 5/8

“She, along with the young women in the Arctic who sew and put fake tattoos on their face with eyeliner, really inspired Amka’s wardrobe.” 6/8

Innuksuk would later write Snowguard in Marvel Voices Heritage #1 (2022), spotlighting Indigenous creators and stories. In Innuksuk’s story, with art by Natasha Donovan, Snowguard combines her superhero abilities with her shamanic heritage to protect her community. 7/8

You can read Peppard’s full story on the debut of Snowguard for free here. 8/8