KARISSA VALENCIA

“Spirit Rangers”

Valencia is the creator and showrunner of Netflix’s upcoming “Spirit Rangers,” a preschool show about a Native American family, with an all-native writers’ room. Valencia, who’s Mexican and Chumash, says animation was essential to convey the complexity and authenticity of the stories she and her collaborators will tell. “Animation is so freeing,” she says. “We needed the freedom to create a brand-new Native series that celebrates our magic, superpowers, and create the most epic national park you’ve ever seen.”

After being reduced for so long to caricatures and stereotypes, Valencia was most eager to design the look of a modern Indigenous family, the Skycedars, who are Chumash and Cowlitz. “By belonging to multiple tribes, we could show the family with different skin tones, hair color, eye color and body shapes. They exist in the modern space and still love their culture.” In telling their stories, which she compares to Grimms’ fairy tales, she offers valuable lessons for the show’s preschool audience. “Kids will get to walk a mile in another’s shoes — or paws and claws — as they learn these life lessons.”

While creating a series that’s fun, exciting and informative, Valencia says she hopes that Hollywood will learn a few things from it as well. “Hollywood has always loved Indigenous stories. I’m hoping that ‘Spirit Rangers’ can be an example of what happens when Indigenous artists are given the support and trust to tell our own,” she says.

“This show represents my love of animation, action-adventure, and my passion for representation — in front of and behind the camera.” — Todd Gilchrist