Indigenous Futurisms

Future Imaginaries: Indigenous Art, Fashion, Technology, now on view at the Autry Museum of the American West, explores the rise of futurism in contemporary Indigenous art as a means of envisioning alternative futures and championing Indigenous technologies. Indigenous futurism—a dynamic and expanding movement that spans literature, visual art, fashion, comics, video games, and beyond—draws from ancestral traditions to imagine a more inclusive and sustainable world. While themes like time travel, cosmic beings, and technology have long been present in Indigenous art, their resurgence has become a powerful means of reconnecting with the past, navigating a challenging present, and reimagining futures free from colonial constraints.

Featuring over 50 artworks, Future Imaginaries creates unexpected and thought-provoking encounters between contemporary Indigenous creations and other works at the Autry. Wendy Red Star transports Indigenous figures adorned in fantastical regalia into surreal, cosmic landscapes. Cara Romero’s photography illuminates the modernity of Native peoples, blending Indigenous perspectives with supernatural elements in everyday life. Jontay Kahmakoatayo (also known as Jontay Kahm) merges unconventional materials—Styrofoam, pebbles, and mesh—with shimmering organza twill fabric, designing futuristic fashion inspired by fossils.

By intertwining science fiction, self-determination, and Indigenous technologies across diverse Native cultures, Future Imaginaries asserts sovereign futures while challenging historical myths and the ongoing consequences of colonization, including environmental degradation and harmful stereotypes.