“Spirit Rangers,” an animated Netflix series about three shape-shifting siblings, won’t debut until next year, but it’s already making a major cultural mark. Led by showrunner Karissa Valencia, the show’s writers room is entirely comprised of Native scribes. According to Variety, “PBS’ ‘Molly of Denali,’ centered on Alaska Natives, is perhaps the only existing series that can tout such indigenous representation in its writers room.”
“I love my writing team and my writing staff,” Valencia said. “I lean on them a lot, whether it’s breaking story and what mythology do we want to tackle, but also learning from each other. The show would not be what it is today without all of our different experiences. Some of us grew up on a reservation, some of us didn’t. Some were adopted out.” She explained, “Everyone’s story is so different, but I am really happy that we have a whole Native staff [so] we can bring all those different perspectives.”
The three protagonists of “Spirit Rangers” all have the ability to transform into unique spirit animals, a power they utilize in order to conserve the National Park where they live and work. It’s the kind of culturally specific story that we don’t see enough of — in children’s shows or otherwise.
In fact, a recent study of all U.S.-based Netflix projects in 2018 and 2019 found that fewer than one percent of main cast roles went to American Indian/Alaskan Native or Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander characters. There were only 14 American Indian/Alaskan Native content creators. No series creators were American Indian/Alaskan Native or Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander women
While “Spirit Rangers” boasts a strong Native presence on both sides of the screen, Valencia and her team are still mindful about being as sensitive and authentic as possible. The showrunner, who is half Chumash and half Mexican, sought the guidance of the Chumash and Cowlitz tribes while making the series. Those two groups serve as the “cultural foundations of the show.” “I went to my tribe and had a big meeting with the elders,” Valencia recalled. “I read a statement and I shared a little animation clip with them. And they were so thrilled and so honored to get to see these traditional stories so I could adapt them. And they gave us permission to use our rock art from the caves that we have out there in the animation.”
Valencia previously wrote for “Vampirina.” “T.O.T.S.” and “Dora and Friends: Into the City!” are also among her credits.
