Exploring the Indigenous Ancestors in Marvel’s Echo: Unveiling Chafa, Lowak, and Tuklo

The third ancestor of Maya’s that we meet is Tuklo (Dannie McCallum), a young Choctaw woman who joins her father, a Lighthorseman, to take down criminals in the early 1800s. TheLighthorsemen were the tribal police forces of five Indigenous tribes: theCherokee, Chickasaw, Choctaw, Creek, and Seminole. They were given jurisdiction over Indigenous people in their lands, though they were expected to leave non-Choctaw criminals alone to face the wrath of the U.S. government. Many tribal police forces today still call themselves Lighthorsemen, including theChoctaw in Oklahoma. (Technically, they are now Lighthorse, which is more gender-equal.)

Tuklo is incredible with all kinds of ranged weapons, including throwing knives and rifles, and she passes this down to Maya through her heritage. When she channels her ancestors, she seems to have supernatural sight, allowing her to see at incredible distances so she can be more accurate with her weapons. She also shares a fascinating line about how she doesn’t want to create life unless she can protect it, something the mothers throughout Maya’s line seem to understand very well.