Unisquisda Tissqua

Land has long been stolen. Ocean colonization is on the horizon. Seasteads, etc. will inherently do unprecedented damage to yet another vital resource that Indigenous peoples have protected and sustainably utilized for centuries pre-contact. However, discussion on impending airway and space colonization is sorely lacking. Considering that air travel is relatively new, and space travel even newer, we are at the precipice of determining whether we will allow the skies (and, ultimately, the universe) to be an extension of colonization—or not. Where is the Indigeneity in these spaces? This is what Unisquisda Tissqua aims to address. 

Unisquisda Tissqua marries the power of 5G technology with a movement rooted in Indigeneity, de-colonization, and Native American art. Jessica Mehta is an Aniyunwiya (citizen of the Cherokee Nation) multi award-winning poet and artist. Chintan Mehta is a 5G engineer at Intel. Both are descended from survivors of colonization. Unisquisda Tissqua aims to spread, highlight, and share Indigenous art via the latest technology, traveling throughout the occupied region of what is today often called the United States. At the heart of this project is reversing invisibility and erasure of Native peoples by claiming (and reclaiming) one of the last places that has not yet been wholly colonized—the skies. 

As Native people, ancestral teachings related to the skies, often via birds, are of course unique to each sovereign Nation and tribe, but there are often common elements. For the Aniyunwiya, “Eagle Medicine” is Ceremony. It is healing. We look skyward for messages and teachings from our ancestors. Through Unisquisda Tissqua, through art and technology, our hope is to not only Indigenize the skies, but to soar with our histories while shaping our futures. Ultimately, Unisquisda Tissqua may be used as a prototype of sorts for how Indigeneity and art may be infused into space travel, too.

We plan to modify a flock of DJI Air 2S drones (dubbed “tissqua,” or bird) with each featuring avian imagery created by a Native artist (including Mehta). Additionally, poetry by Mehta that addresses the authentic history of these shared lands as well as historic and contemporary issues in NDN country (such as Murdered and Missing Indigenous Women and Girls as well as the correlation between the residential Indian boarding “schools” and today’s disparities within the foster care system) will be written on the tissqua. 

Since a goal of Unisquisda Tissqua is cultural exchange and education, the flock will visit a variety of locations throughout the grant period. However, priority will be given to migrating home to tribal lands and reservations, such as tribal schools, to serve as an educational tool that underscores the interweaving of art and technology. 

Unisquisda Tissqua is, by design and concept, dependent on public engagement. There are two core approaches to this: first, working together with Native artists to continually design and re-design the aesthetic of the tissqua flock. The initial look/presentation of the flock is not static but will continually change as more Native artists put their designs on the flock. Second, Unisquisda Tissqua is meant to “visit” various TBD sites. This latter step is a bit akin to an exhibition or gallery opening, but with the art coming to the audience—courtesy of drones.

Unisquisda Tissqua is headed by a Native American artist and poet who has been a full-time working artist/writer for over a decade. This simply is an artistic, creative project that will use the latest technology as a delivery tool (both literally and figuratively). As artists, part of our responsibility is to ensure access while offering multi-layered, high-concept visuals that inform, educate, spark discourse, and, in the case of Native Art, work towards de-colonization and sharing authentic histories and realities. The art is already steeping. The technology will provide visibility and access in an engaging manner. 

Mehta is Aniyunwiya, but based in the occupied and stolen lands commonly called "Oregon." As such, she has a preference for the tissqua to migrate to her ancestral homelands in both "Oklahoma" and "North Carolina," but also Indigenous communities throughout the state. As a native "Oregonian" who has been deeply invested and involved in the pan-Native community in this region (and beyond) for decades, Mehta is already immersed in these communities and connected with a number of stakeholders (including elders). 

We are applying to Solve not only for the financial support necessary for such a project, but perhaps more importantly for the support that comes by mentorship and knowledge-sharing. The lead, Mehta, as a business owner and artist, understandably has a strong background in many facets necessary for bringing this project to life. However, when it comes to the legal ramifications of a flight-based project as well as the technical and business requirements for a successful series of launch, that's where there are some gaps in expertise. We selected "legal" as the most pressing gift from Solve, but in actuality the coaching/mentorship (and perhaps networking amongst peers) and media exposure are equally as critical (though we could only select one!). Simply put, without this kind of support, it is unlikely that this project will be borne with any capacity for success ... and the goal here is to serve Native communities through art, so success is paramount.