Continuing in the theme of Indigenous Futurism, I tell stories that I want to breathe into existence – futures where our heirloom corn continues to flourish and our ancestral knowledge serves as the foundation for human and planetary wellbeing. In this work, I reimagine the timeless figure of Coyote (and she’s in female form) in a futuristic setting. Coyote Girl emerges from her spaceship, inviting us to wonder what adventures await in this playful fusion of ancestral story knowledge and speculative possibility. Our fabled trickster, Coyote, teaches lessons of humanity: how to be a good person, how to learn from mistakes, and how to maintain a sense of humor and adventure even in uncertain times.

The photograph features Peshawn Bread (Comanche/Kiowa) as our heroine Coyote Girl, captured on Santa Fe's Southside near the spaceship sculpture. My team and I created the otherworldly atmosphere using colored gels over strobe lights – you can see their reflections in her glasses – fog effects, and sparklers attached to her toy gun. I added the aurora borealis and stars through photo illustration, referencing the rare Northern Lights that were visible here in Santa Fe last winter.

While it is hard to explain cross-culturally the importance of our community stories and languages, they are integral parts of our ecosystems. Language and stories from the landscape are not separate from environmental science – they provide an important confluence to the unknowable value of Indigenous science, philosophy, and spirituality. I hope that today and well into the future, we continue to value the stories of our creations and mythos.

–Cara Romero