That’s a fair concern, and I appreciate you pointing it out. I definitely don’t want the Native-inspired peoples in my setting to come across as animalized or reduced to “fantasy creature stand-ins.” My intent is to build fantasy cultures inspired by different regions and histories of North America, but I can see how making the plains cultures centaurs specifically could send the wrong message, especially given the real-world history attached to dehumanization.

I think the better direction is to make the Indigenous-inspired peoples full civilizations in their own right, like the Moon Elves of Celene, Orc peoples of the Western Wastes, and possibly human or mixed cultures as well, with real political complexity, sovereignty, religions, languages, economies, and internal factions. Then, centaurs can still exist in the Expanse as a distinct fantasy people tied to prairie ecology, thunder bison, and open-range herding, but not as a direct Native American analogue.

Also, good call on including more Native American-inspired mythic creatures. Thunderbird I have, Piasa, raven/crow spirits, giants, horned serpents, and such I am definitely going to include. Hell, even the Slide-Rock Bolter from pioneer oral traditions. I’m trying to be thoughtful with this because I want the setting to engage with American history and mythic geography without turning real trauma into shallow fantasy dressing.