Denver Comic Con 2018 Panel Spotlight - The Indiginarium: Unlocking the Indigenous Imagination

Written by Tim Girard

The Indiginarium: Unlocking the Indigenous Imagination
Saturday, 6/16/18 from 1:00PM - 1:50 PM Room 501 - Comics

Led by the masterminds behind Native Realities, this panel will discuss the origins of the Indiginarium and how our approach seeks to reimagine the history of Indigenous representations in popular culture while embracing a new world full of imagination!

Panelists: Lee Francis IV (Instagram, Facebook, Twitter), Aaron Cuffee, Dale Deforest (Instagram, Facebook, Twitter), and Jonathan Nelson (website, Instagram, Facebook, Twitter).

The members of this panel, led by Lee Francis IV (creators from Native Realities), all noticed (in their childhood, as well as now) that in movies, toys, comics, games, etc., there is a need for Native representation. Growing up, they mostly saw their people portrayed as part of the ‘Native Nightmare’ - wooden Indian tobacco statues outside of gas stations, comics of cowboys punching Indians, and Indian characters reduced to a white man’s bow-and-arrow-wielding sidekick. From the Trail of Tears to Standing Rock, Natives are perceived by many to be a 'tragic lost cause' to be pitied. Those who are aware will feel sympathy for them because of the systemic oppression that they have faced. Many Natives will experience comments like 'There are still Natives around?' and 'I’m sorry about your people.' Lee Francis and the rest of the panelists’ response is: 'I’m still here. We are still here, and doing great things. This is not the end.' That is a big part of what inspired the Indiginarium to create something new and exciting, a blend of tradition and technology: a 'Native Folks’ Wakanda.'

Comic books are a natural medium for Native creativity because it is almost as if they are a modern day version of petroglyphs ('images and designs made by engraving, carving or scratching away the dark layer of rock varnish on a rock's surface to reveal the lighter rock underneath'). We were introduced to some comics and other literature by Indigenous creators such as Tribal Force, by Jon Proudstar (originally released in 1996, based on Diné mythology and dealing with parallel realities); Scout: Marauder, by Timothy Truman and co-written by Benjamin Truman (two Apache brothers who were separated when their father was killed are reunited 15 years later in a dystopian-future America); Trail of Lightning by Rebecca Roanhorse (in Book 1 of The Sixth World saga, post climate apocalypse, Maggie Hoskie is not just a sidekick, but a supernaturally gifted Dinétah monster hunter); The Kynship Chronicles: The Way of Thorn and Thunder by Daniel Heath Justice (set in a world resembling 18th-century North America, it is epic high fantasy with elves, dwarves, etc., but based in a Native setting).

Aaron Cuffee said that it is very important to avoid tropes and pitfalls when including Indigenous people in stories. Instead of a movie like Last of the Mohicans, which he said was offensive, why not make a Highlander-style movie in space with an immortal Native? Cuffee also likes to aggressively go against stereotypes and purposefully do the opposite of what’s been done, like having a Native, Professor X-type character, with the world’s most powerful mind. He also said that a lot of Native American youth are not into their heritage, so presenting Indigenous stories through comics, film, etc. and the Indiginarium are all ways to get them interested.

Dale Deforest saw how little Native representation there was and that not a lot of ‘imagination investment’ was going into their stories. Native people were almost always only being used as props to progress a white story. Instead of characters who are stereotypes like Apache Chief (Super Friends) or Spirit (G.I. Joe), there should be more Native characters who are doctors, scientists, teachers, etc. Dale wants to do something really cool for kids of all ages, so he writes Hero Twins, which is based on the Navajo Creation Story, but with his own take on it.

Jonathan Nelson wanted to create a character that Native people (especially kids) could relate to, and see as themselves. His comic book Wool of Jonesy tells the story of an anthropomorphic sheep in the Navajo reservation who just finished high school, and deals with all sorts of social and racial issues. It’s also meant to make the point that animals are more than just food. He is also working on a series of paintings that put Jonesy in a Star Wars-like setting called Farm Wars (Protect and Defend, The Calm Before the Storm), where the Dark Side/Empire is an oil company. You can see more of his work on his website, Badwinds.com, including some of his logo art using the Coca Cola and Disney fonts.

Lee Francis closed the panel with a discussion of Indigenous Comic Con, which takes place in New Mexico. It is a way for Native people to explore the past, present, and future of their culture. Last year there was a teaser for 'Electric Chaco,' which takes place in Chaco Canyon in the 23rd century and is another type of 'Native Wakanda.' There was an 'Indigenous Futurism' fashion show, combining tradition with modern technology, such as a seemingly traditional shawl with fiber optic lights woven into the pattern. The panel members from Native Realities want to let everyone know that, from the Indiginarium, to comics, to Indigenous Comic Con, there are exciting things happening in the Native community, and this is not the 'end of the trail.'
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For more Native Realities, check out their website (NativeRealities.com), also, if you’ll be in the area, check out the Indigenous Comic Con (IndigenousComicCon.com), presented by Meow Wolf, from November 2 - 4, 2018 at the Isleta Resort & Casino in Albuquerque, New Mexico. This is their third year and will feature 'Indigenous creators, illustrators, writers, designers, actors, and artists from the worlds of comic books, games, sci-fi, fantasy, film, and television.

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