This petition is asking James Cameron and Lightstorm Entertainment to set aside 20% of the net profits (or $10 million, whichever is greater) from Avatar 3, Fire & Ash, for grants and other support for Indigenous futurist artists and creatives.

Why This Is Important

Native Americans  - and Indigenous peoples around the world - are living, thriving cultures. In modern media, though, we're often relegated to the past or used as analogies for "alien" cultures in science fiction. The most glaring example of this is the blockbuster series Avatar, from James Cameron and Lightstorm Entertainment.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

In 2010, James Cameron said:

"This was a driving force for me in the writing of 'Avatar' — I couldn't help but think that if they [the Lakota Sioux] had had a time-window and they could see the future … and they could see their kids committing suicide at the highest suicide rates in the nation … because they were hopeless and they were a dead-end society — which is what is happening now — they would have fought a lot harder."

This damaging mindset is exactly why our petition is necessary. Treating Indigenous cultures as tools for science fiction storytelling without actually including them in the creative process isn't only harmful, it's missing an amazing opportunity to add depth and authenticity to our media. 

In North America, Indigenous Futurisms - a phrase coined by professor Grace Dillon - takes the shape of Native American/First Nations creatives of all stripes, crafting art that looks forward while preserving the past. It reminds us all that Native people aren't just still here, but that we have vital things to say about the future. 

There are writers, illustrators, photographers, fashion designers, game designers, filmmakers, musicians, and more, all bringing their Native heritage into the future (see below for some incredible examples). To do that, though, we need help. 

By signing this petition, you're agreeing that if James Cameron can gross more than $5.2 billion before Fire & Ash has even been released, then his production company, Lightstorm Entertainment, can give back to the people he's used as the inspiration for his protagonists in the Avatar films, the N'avi (see The Details below for more specifics)

Now Is The Time

Avatar Fire & Ash releases on December 18th, 2025. James Cameron already has a foundation called the Avatar Alliance. This foundation has given out roughly $13 million in the last 15 years toward environmental causes, less than $1 million dollars per year.

We'd like to see that number not only go up, but for some of those funds to start going to artists bringing Indigenous futurist visions to the world. We'd also like to see Natives in key positions at the foundation to help ensure those funds go to the right people.

Indigenous Futurists

Indigenous futurism can be found in every artistic field. Here are just a few examples:

• Darcie Little Badger
• Virgil Ortiz
• Wendy Ponca
• Snotty Nose Rez Kids
• Roy Boney
• Cannupa Hanska Luger
• Elizabeth LaPensée

If James Cameron's Avatar films are meant as warnings about our environment, a plea to increase global efforts around sustainability, then, as an artist himself, he should be willing to lift those artists whose culture he's using in that message. Who is better equipped to amplify that message than Indigenous futurists?

Please help us ensure that Mr. Cameron and his company see and understand this message by not only signing this petition but also by sharing it across social media.

The Details

We'd like to see a portion of net profits from Avatar Fire & Ash added to the Avatar Alliance foundation, and that organization expanded to include Native American/First Nation individuals in positions where they can help channel that money toward grants and other awards that help support Indigenous artists who focus on Indigenous futurisms. 

We hope that Lightstorm, the Avatar Alliance, and James Cameron take this request seriously and that they reach out to us to discuss how we can make these changes.

Thank you/Wado,

Kenna Alexander (Cherokee Nation)