On the Wind River Indian Reservation in Wyoming, the Fort Washakie middle school boys basketball team navigates everyday challenges of life on a reservation while preparing for their upcoming game in a neighboring town. Meanwhile, fierce creatures of Shoshone legend, small-beings known as the Nimerigar, have emerged from hiding with vengeance in their hearts. Through a twist of events, it becomes clear that the Nimerigar are setting their sites on the traveling basketball team as the first victims on their fervent trek for revenge. It all boils to a head in a bloody confrontation at the paramount landmark, Crowheart Butte, a place of particular historical and spiritual significance to the Eastern Shoshone tribe and its people...

Crowheart Butte is a horror/fantasy graphic novel, but at its core is a stirring drama about a Native American teacher and coach and the team in which he guides and educates. The goal with this project was to tell an honest story that dealt with the real issues indigenous people face on U.S. reservations, but also to deliver a riveting creature-horror story that featured Native American characters often absent in not only horror, but popular culture in general.

About the Creator

My name is Zach Kennah, I am an artist and illustrator currently based in Los Angeles, California. After graduating from the University of Wyoming in 2014 with my BFA in Art, I moved to California to pursue a career in the arts. Having grown up in Wyoming, telling stories based in my home state is a trend that often shows up in my work. One of my favorite genres has always been horror, and I really appreciate when films, books, and comics push the boundaries of where the genre can go in terms of subject matter and originality in storytelling. In my own work, I often start with character and develop the story from there. I enjoy following characters naturally as opposed to in a contrived way designed to service plot whether it be in horror or any genre. I strive to present dynamic, unique, and diverse characters and I always try to implement them into my own work and ideas.

Funding, Impact, and the Risks Involved

The good news is that the novel is 100% complete. It is a 168 page full-color book that has taken 2 years to finish, and, for lack of a better phrase, is a real passion project. My father grew up in Fort Washakie on the reservation, and because of this and my family history, I have always had a strong interest in Native culture, as well as being a proponent of awareness in relation to Native American history and current contemporary issues. Crowheart Butte is a work that represents a combination of my love for art and horror, and my admiration and respect for Native people .

The funding for this project will be primarily used for book printing costs, but some will also go toward promotion and, of course, shipping expenses. Full-color book printing is crazy expensive and I want to be able to print as many copies as possible. Additionally, if I reach my goal of $4,000, I pledge to donate $1 for every $20 I raise to the Wind River Foundation, a non-profit based in Jackson, Wyoming whose mission is to advance philanthropy that will empower the indigenous communities of the  Wind River Indian Reservation in their work toward cultural revitalization, social progress, and economic prosperity. In other words, if I raise my $4000 goal, $200 will be donated to this organization and then for every $20 I raise beyond my goal I will donate an additional $1.

The risks involved for contributors are minimal since I have already completed the book. I am extremely determined to get this novel made into its physical, printed form, and if I attain funding there is absolutely no way I will not succeed in this goal. Even if I do not get the funds from this campaign I am prepared to use my own savings in order to fulfill perk promises and print a small run of the book to at least get it out there. I have worked too long and hard on this project and it means far too much to me for it to never see the light of day. Ultimately, the more money I raise the higher number of books I can print and the more people will be able to read this story that I personally feel deserves to be told.

If you are unable to contribute, I completely understand. With the current state of things I know it is not easy for many of us. Even if we want to be giving and generous, we may simply not be able to due to recent economic struggles. I also know that there are many other incredible projects and artists out there that deserve your generosity, as well as various social and political causes that quite honestly may seem more important right now than art and entertainment. At the end of the day I am just happy that you have taken the time to read this and see what I have been working on for the last couple years. If you are unable to donate, please consider following me on Instagram @zachkennah and helping to spread the word to your own friends and followers. Thank you all so much, it really means a lot.

-Zach Kennah

Creator of Crowheart Butte

September, 2020