This story is part of ICT’s series on the 250th anniversary of the United States of America, a nation built on the backs of enslaved people, genocide, and stolen land.
Kalle Benallie
ICT
The United States of America officially turned 250 on July 4 earlier this month and many continue to reflect on the United States’ past and future.
For Indigenous people, that includes asking what the future holds for them. What is the future for Indigenous people in the next 250 years?
Hud Oberly, entrepreneur, said that Indigenous futurism has different meanings for him as he’s worked in various industries like fashion, film, marketing, nonprofits and board service.
“I think broadly, it’s a continuation of our ways as Indigenous people, which also vary from nation to nation. And so it’s a continuation of those ways, but also there’s an evolution, to those ways based on the world that we live in, as times change, and a lot of our ways are set to not change,” he said.
Oberly, Osage, Caddo, Comanche, said the art world is where Indigenous futurism is visualized.
He was first introduced to the topic at the imagineNATIVE Film and Media Arts Festival, which had augmented reality pieces of work that artists portrayed Indigenous futurism in the digital world.
“Those are things that you can see the imagination run wild, and what does it look like with clothing in a digital world in the future,” he said.
Artists like Cannupa Hanska Luger, MHA Nation, are mixing media like traditional clothing and wardrobe into futuristic wear. In April 2025, his video series, “Midéegaadi”, was featured in Times Square in New York City that showed regalia to envision the regeneration and return of the North American bison.
Oberly added how Indigenous futurism makes him think about how tribes can work and collaborate that couldn’t before because of the lack of technology.
“That’s a way of Indigenous futurism is collaborating (with) someone from the Seminole Tribe of Florida collaborating on a project with the Squamish and in Vancouver…,” he said. “When I think of Indigenous futurism, my mind just goes to futuristic, so I go to centuries ahead or millennia ahead, but there’s definitely baby steps happening right now.”
He said he’s keeping an eye on how people are reacting and taking action for the 250th anniversary.
“I don’t really care about the anniversary, like at all. I understand it has its connection to really representing land theft, other colonial violence, but it doesn’t hold any weight in my mind other than just having an interest on how people are,” Oberly said.
Liana Shewey, Mvskoke, co-founder and executive director at Relative Arts and co-founder of Indigenous New York Fashion Week, said Indigenous futurism means using the technologies of the ancestors and present technologies to use in the future.
“I think with that comes just having the agency and autonomy and self-determination to understand that we are already living through an apocalypse and that we are best prepared for what the future may hold on this planet Earth,” she said.
Korina Emmerich, — co-founder and executive director at Relative Arts, co-founder of Indigenous New York Fashion Week, artist and clothing designer — said Indigenous leadership is Indigenous futurism.
“A lot of the work that we do in the artwork that we support is focusing on sustainability and ethical production. So I really believe that with the climate crisis and everything that’s happening, that the future is Indigenous leadership.” Emmerich, Pulluyap, said.
Emmerich added how just over the past generation there has been reclamation of culture and language.
“The amount of people who are bringing back things that were stamped out through assimilation. It’s just been so cool and one of the main things we do with Relative Arts and with Indigenous New York Fashion Week is prioritizing celebrating joy and celebrating each other,” she said.
Shewey sees how there might be collapse of society that will help introduce Indigenous stewardship
“I see new systems of reciprocity and community and mutual aid built into how we interact as a society and a community. But I also see a really tough path getting there and in the immediate, more immediate future, say, in the 50 years leading up to 250 years further on.” she said.
Emmerich said the 250th anniversary is seen as an occupation.
“I really believe that it’s kind of like this death rattle of America, realizing that culture has survived and will always survive and will always persevere and that these ideas of false power can combat that and we are not only still here, but we’re moving forward into the future,” Emmerich said.
Emmerich added that the future of Indigenous fashion is to make design and materials sustainable for Indigenous designers, as well as introducing them to local manufacturers and Indigenous made textiles.
“Relative Arts is really built around the idea of reciprocity and keeping our economic sovereignty links to one another. I believe that is something that will be a growth in the future of Indigenous art and fashion,” she said.
Shewey said there is a revolution happening now with artists and activists that care about the planet and there’s a new phase of accountability.
“As the future continues, we will be replacing the models that we’re currently in that are not working for us like fast fashion, and using unsustainable resources that will be the revolution that we are tempting people with as artists and that we will ultimately come into having those technologies and having those ways of understanding,” Shewey said.
Relative Arts is moving ahead in the future by holding their second Indigenous New York Fashion Week in September and are going to Australia to connect with aboriginal designers.
Indigenous New York Fashion Week created an ecosystem of Indigenous creatives across professional professions.
“We, Indigenous people are in every field, in every profession, and we can create our own systems of reciprocity and interdependence. We will. We are. We’ve done it,” Shewey said. “It’s really just a matter of the rest of the world, standing behind humanity, and realizing that the only way forward is by submitting to the land and protecting it at all costs.”
