Showcasing American Indian Cultures through Comic Books

Located near the entrance of Perkins Library on Duke University’s West Campus, the Jerry and Bruce Chappell Family Gallery features a new exhibit each semester. This fall, that exhibit is “American Indians Go Graphic,” which features a collection of graphic art and comic books.

Along with Lee Francis, a fellow Ph.D. and comic book enthusiast, Courtney Lewis curated the exhibit to showcase works by American Indians about American Indians.

Lewis, Crandall Family Associate Professor of Cultural Anthropology and a citizen of the Cherokee Nation, launched the Native American Studies Initiative soon after arriving at Duke in 2023. In 2025, she expanded that initiative into a research program called RISE-US, or Research for Indigenous Studies and Engagement in the United States, at the Kenan Institute for Ethics. 

Lewis says that “American Indians Go Graphic” shows that American Indian cultures are not simply a historical phenomenon — they are a vibrant and current way of life.

“One of the most important elements of comic books is that they inherently humanize American Indian peoples. This is incredibly important because American Indians are often portrayed only in the past, as if we are not active players in today’s society. Bridging this gap greatly increases the discussions we can have about American Indian lives and impacts on society, from economics to community responsibility.”

— Courtney Lewis

Lewis says she hopes that visitors will get a glimpse of Native cultures, heroism, and humor through this exhibit. On November 14–16, she is also excited for Duke to host IndigiPopX, an Indigenous pop culture convention featuring Indigenous celebrities, chefs, filmmakers, comic artists, game developers, fashion designers and performers. 

To read Professor Lewis’s full interview about this exhibit and her work at Duke as a whole, visit Duke Today here.