“Representation is not just about visibility; It’s about creating real emotional connections for our communities.“
On the Navajo Nation, a childhood moment set Akilah Martinez on a lifelong path. Watching her grandparents sit through television programs offered only in English, she felt the absence of her language and culture in modern media. That spark grew into a mission to change the narrative.
Today, Akilah works under the name Glittering World Girl. She is an artist and creative technologist whose work blends Indigenous storytelling, immersive technology, and cultural preservation. Her projects are more than interactive experiences; They are living spaces where Diné language, tradition, and innovation come together to imagine new futures.
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Blending Tech & Tradition
When you meet Akilah Martinez, you encounter an artist whose work is as much about the future as it is about the past. A creative technologist, XR developer, and cultural bearer from the Navajo Nation, Akilah builds immersive augmented reality (AR) experiences via mobile AR or through AR glasses that root social impact or Indigenous language and culture within the rapidly evolving landscape of technology.
Her calling emerged early. “I was about three years old when I realized I wanted to create media that included Navajo language and culture,” Akilah recalls. “I used to watch my grandparents, who only spoke Navajo, sit through television that was only offered in English. That moment shaped my lifelong goal.”
Akilah pursued her BFA in Studio Art at the University of New Mexico, where she
immersed herself in electronic art and video art. She experimented with interactive
design, even creating oscillator shoes displayed at the FATE Biennial in 2013. After
graduating, she spent five years living primarily on the reservation, focusing on Navajo
language preservation through media.
Her artistic process today combines emerging platforms with deep cultural grounding. She begins by designing 3D models or 2D assets, translating scripts she writes into Diné bizaad with help from her mother, and recording audio that becomes the heartbeat of her XR works. “My family is central to my art process,” she explains. “My mom acts as my language consultant. When I don’t know how to say something in Navajo, she helps me find the words.”
Through this collaborative approach, Akilah infuses her projects with authenticity and connection, making her work accessible and resonant for Indigenous communities.
Carrying Culture Seven Generations Ahead
Much of Akilah’s art is grounded in the concept of Indigenous futurism, a lens that imagines how culture and language can thrive across generations through innovation. Her artist name, Glittering World Girl, speaks directly to this vision.
“In Navajo culture, the Glittering World refers to the present time—a world full of technology and outside influences,” Akilah explains. “It was prophesied that during this time our people might lose their language and culture. I named myself Glittering World Girl to reclaim that prophecy, to use technology as a way to ensure our culture flourishes into the future.”
One of Akilah’s most personal artistic milestones was sharing her work with her grandmother. At age 96, her grandmother watched a film that included Navajo language and imagery. “She sat up, leaned toward the screen, and wanted to watch it again and again,” Akilah remembers. “It was probably the first time she had seen a motion picture that reflected her language and culture. That moment validated why I do what I do.”
Building Community
While her roots remain deeply tied to the Navajo Nation, Akilah credits Albuquerque with shaping her practice. As a student at UNM, she found community within the city’s underground hip hop scene. “It was a nurturing space,” she says. “Local and national artists took a chance on me and supported my work.”
“I feel like the art scene in Albuquerque is really rich in different types of cultures being represented. There’s a strong Indigenous cultural art scene, and I feel like there are a lot of organizations and grassroots efforts in Albuquerque that support artists as well.”
Resources in Albuquerque, like New Mexico Community Capital’s Resilience Hub, gave Akilah the tools to grow as both an artist and entrepreneur. The Hub provides space, mentorship, and resources for Native and local creatives who are building sustainable careers. Surrounded by a community of people working across many fields, Akilah was able to reframe her practice through a business lens. “That is how Glittering World Girl became not just an identity but a circular economic ecosystem, cycling art, technology, language, and culture together,” she explains.
“Indigenous voices and innovation belong at the forefront of emergent technology.”
A Future Where Culture and Technology Thrive Together
Akilah continues to push boundaries, integrating AR into community workshops, collaborating with Indigenous artists, and mentoring the next generation. Her work embodies both optimism and innovation, presenting a future where Navajo culture is not only preserved but reimagined through immersive technology.
For artists just starting out, she offers simple but powerful advice: “Believe in yourself. Build genuine relationships. If you can’t see yourself doing anything other than art, don’t take no for an answer within your own belief system.”
As Glittering World Girl, Akilah Martinez is proving that the intersection of culture and technology is not a crossroads of loss. It is a space of resurgence where tradition shines, language thrives, and art carries a people’s voice into the future.
Find upcoming events featuring Glittering World Girl at ABQToDo.
Acknowledgments
Art Every Day Of The Week
When you start to look, you’ll see art everywhere in Albuquerque. Use this calendar to find an arts and culture event near you. Take a friend, bring your kids, or go on your own. Become a part of the arts and culture community in Albuquerque. You’ll be glad you did.
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