No Natives in science fiction?

Our fiction's short on science

Posted By Drew Hayden Taylor[T]here is one area that Native people haven't yet completely embraced. I am talking about science fiction. The few aboriginal footprints wandering across the lunar landscape are, for the most part, moccasins worn by white astronauts. How's that for a metaphor!

Perhaps the best known would be Chakotay from the Star Trek series, Voyager, though I don't know if it's the Canadian or aboriginal in me that keeps wanting to call it Voyageur. Be that as it may, he is the second-in-command and sports a cool and funky tattoo on his face. They never actually say what nation he is, but I do believe its some central American tribe. In one episode though, they find a lost branch of his people living on a planet clear across the galaxy. They were no doubt sent there by some future non-indigenous government intent on establishing its sovereignty. It's been done before, just ask the Inuit of Grise Fiord.

My other favourite example of Native people making a token appearance in science fiction is Aldous Huxley's Brave New World. Actually, it's more of a dystopian novel where John Savage, a severely misplaced white dude, is born on a reservation in New Mexico, after his mother was marooned there on a sightseeing trip. It happens all the time, I hear. Needless to say, our people do not come off well. They are a backwards, drunken lot who squabble and are very petty. I am going to avoid the obvious joke here.Comment:  Too bad Kiowa science-fiction writer Russell Bates has left our midst. He could fill us in on all the sci-fi written by Natives, mostly him.

But there's more sci-fi about Natives than Taylor has noted. Especially if you define the genre broadly and include related works such as fantasies and techno-thrillers. Some examples:

Beyond Mars: Crimson Fleet by R.G. Risch.

Several bits and pieces in Star Trek episodes and books.

Alternative histories: The Gate of Worlds by Robert Silverberg, Apacheria and Operation Shatterhand by Jake Page, The Court-Martial of George Armstrong Custer by Douglas C. Jones, etc.

Tales from the Great Turtle by Piers Anthony.

The Kynship series by Daniel Heath Justice.

The Twilight series by Stephenie Meyer.

James Rollins's thrillers.

The Swarm by Frank Schatzing.

Movies: The Indiana Jones films, The Ruins, Unearthed, Pathfinder, etc.

TV shows and made-for-TV movies: Avatar: The Last Airbender, Aztec Rex, Wyvern, Hybrid, etc.

Comic books: SCOUT, TUROK, TIMESPIRITS, AZTEC ACE, Dawnstar in the Legion of Super-Heroes, Tom Kalmaku in GREEN LANTERN, etc.

It's not a huge list, and I had to stretch the definition of science fiction, but there are many more than Taylor's two examples. He must not be much of a sci-fi fan if that's all he can think of.

For more on the subject, see Carl Brandon Society's Recommendations and The Best Indian Books.