American Indians Go Graphic

Inspired by works in Afrofuturism and science fiction, American Indian Futurism positions Indigenous survival not as speculation but as certainty, placing Indigenous peoples firmly within near and distant futures. In utilizing a futurisms framework, American Indian writers and illustrators have expanded science fiction vocabulary by insisting on worlds that are molded by many Indigenous peoples’ values, such as an ideology of a society based on abundance rather than scarcity. These comics also directly reorient many of the colonial elements in the science fiction genre. By working within and against sci-fi conventions, these creators challenge the genre’s embedded colonial logics—such as exploration, conquest, and terraforming—providing us with future visions based on regenerative and reciprocal models of exploration rooted in deep relationships and care. 

Jones, Stephen Graham (Blackfeet citizen). Earthdivers. Illus. by Davide Gianfelice (non-Native), and Riccardo Burchielli (non-Native). IDW Publishing, 2023. Lilly Library, Duke University. 

Earthdivers opens in a post-apocalyptic future where climate collapse has devastated the world. A group of American Indian survivors discovers a time-travel portal in a cave and sends one of their own to 1492, with a mission to assassinate Christopher Columbus, preventing the colonization that destroys the planet. The first issue blends gritty sci-fi with sharp historical critique, raising deep moral and ethical questions about sacrifice and timeline disruption.  

Shaggy, Kayla (Diné/Navajo descendant). Sixth World. A Triple Jeopardy Production, 2017. Courtesy of Lee Francis IV, Ph.D. 

Set in a future shaped by ecological collapse, the Sixth World series follows Dinora Redhorse, a young Diné (Navajo Nation) woman navigating personal transformation, interplanetary colonization, and authoritarian regimes on Mars. In the first issue, we learn her grandmother’s secret–a powerful Exo-Maii (Diné for coyote) Suit. The series includes Diné language, philosophical stories, and futurisms (the “sixth world” being a world of the future). Shaggy’s raw, expressive art style reinforces the story’s visceral and personal tone.

Odjick, Jay (Kitigan Zibi Anishinabeg citizen). “In Our Blood.” Illus. by David Cutler (Qalipu Mi'kmaq First Nation citizen). In Moonshot Volume 3. Edited by Michael Sheyahshe (Caddo Nation citizen) and Elizabeth LaPensée (non-Native). Avani, an imprint of Inhabit Education Books Inc., 2020. Lilly Library, Duke University. Label written by Minha Kim.  

Speech bubbles stretch across the pages of “In Our Blood,” visualizing the protagonist’s decisions and mirroring the moral complexities he faces. The graphic novel follows an elected official of Crow’s River, who finds himself entangled in an ethical dilemma regarding groundbreaking technology that can erase generational trauma. The way the words are strung across the page heightens the emotional and psychological stakes, making the reader feel the pull of characters’ conflicting ideologies and personal struggles.  

Sheyahshe, Michael (Caddo Nation citizen). “Strike and Bolt.” Illus. by George Freeman. In Moonshot Volume 1. Edited by Hope Nicholson (non-Native). Avani, an imprint of Inhabit Education Books Inc., 2020. Lilly Library, Duke University. 

“Strike and Bolt” imagines the traditional Caddo tale of “Thunder and Lightning” as twin brothers in a futuristic setting. When their scientist mother disappears during an experiment, the brothers harness their elemental powers to rescue her. This sci-fi narrative blends Caddo storytelling and language with superhero elements, highlighting themes of family, technology and its limitations, bravery, and cultural continuity. 

Sheyahshe, Michael (Caddo Nation citizen).”Xenesi: The Traveler.” Illus Roy Boney  Jr. (Cherokee Nation citizen). In Moonshot Volume 3. Edited by Michael Sheyahshe (Caddo Nation citizen) and Elizabeth LaPensée (non-Native). Avani, an imprint of Inhabit Education Books Inc., 2020. Lilly Library, Duke University. 

Xenesi blends Cherokee futurism with interstellar narrative. Set in a distant future, the story follows a nameless Indigenous “Xenesi” (holy person) scientist traveling through space in a self-camouflaging spacecraft, working to correct and preserve Indigenous knowledges and ways of being. Note the inclusion of a special cameo by Sequoyah, creator of Cherokee syllabary. Through sleek sci-fi visuals and subtle humor, Xenesi offers a Cherokee re-envisioning of one of nerd-dom’s favorites: Dr. Who.