[As the groundbreaking TV show comes to an end, one Native
American pop culture aficionado reflects on its impact]
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HOW ‘RESERVATION DOGS’ CHANGED TELEVISION FOREVER  
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September 26, 2023
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_ As the groundbreaking TV show comes to an end, one Native American
pop culture aficionado reflects on its impact _

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For three beautifully honest seasons, we’ve watched _Reservation
Dogs_
[[link removed]] deftly
depict modern Native American life in a way never before seen in TV or
film. The nuanced storytelling—courtesy of an all-Indigenous team of
writers, directors, and regular actors—captivated audiences from the
time it premiered in 2021 and earned creators Sterlin Harjo
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Waititi
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accolades, including a Peabody Award
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a Golden Globe nod
[[link removed]]. But for
Native Americans like me, the real triumph is far greater: The show
ushered in a welcome era of authentic Indigenous representation in
media.

As an Alaska Native (Tlingit) growing up in northern Minnesota in the
’90s, I rarely saw anyone who looked like me. So I turned to pop
culture—think VHS tapes, satellite TV, and nascent dial-up
internet—to connect with the rest of the world. The only problem?
Native portrayals in entertainment were virtually nonexistent, and the
few that did pop up fed into tired tropes. Case in point: There
was Disney’s _Pocahontas_
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with an Indian figurine), and a problematic scene in _Maverick_
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red face [[link removed]] and is hunted
by a Russian archduke eager to kill an Indian.

Instead, I settled for a steady diet of TGIF sitcoms
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featured mainly white and occasionally Black experiences. The only
so-called diversity was situational and slightly outrageous, like a
widowed Danny Tanner
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separated-at-birth twins on _Sister, Sister_
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[[link removed]]’ Balki Bartokomous
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Mediterranean island of Mypos. Even as my TV tastes matured in
adulthood, I still didn’t see myself reflected back onscreen. The
underlying message was this: Your people don’t matter enough to be
shown.

The effects of this utter lack of representation can’t be
overstated. Even today, during an undeniable Native renaissance across
spheres from politics (see the historic appointment of Interior
Secretary Deb Haaland
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to pop culture (see _Rez Dogs_, _Killers of the Flower Moon_
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woefully low. Recent research
[[link removed]] from IllumiNative
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Indigenous erasure, found that inclusion of Native characters in
primetime TV shows and popular films hovers around 1 percent.
Stereotypical depictions and relative invisibility in turn are shown
to have marked impacts on Native individuals—particularly
youth—negatively affecting our self-understanding
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and mental health
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[Paulina Alexis as Willie Jack, Devery Jacobs as Elora Danan,
D’Pharaoh Woon-A-Tai as Bear, Lane Factor as Cheese, Elva Guerra as
Jackie in Reservation Dogs.]

Paulina Alexis, Devery Jacobs, D’Pharaoh Woon-A-Tai, Lane Factor,
and Elva Guerra.

Shane Brown/FX

It wasn’t until my mid-thirties that I finally witnessed some real
representation, with the debut of _Rez Dogs._ Honestly, at first I
didn’t know what to expect. I was cautiously optimistic that, in the
hands of two capable Indigenous creatives, the series would showcase
Natives as fully formed human beings living in a modern world. But I
never could have imagined it would woo mainstream audiences with its
harmonious blend of humor and heartbreak. This accomplishment is
especially impressive since the show doesn’t shy away from
hard-hitting topics affecting tribal communities as a result of
colonialism, including marked inequities
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family dynamics, and intergenerational traumas like Indian boarding
school
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The storyline centers around four teens coming of age on a fictional
Indian reservation and grieving the loss of a friend to suicide. As
they try to find their place in the world and consider leaving home,
they seek wisdom from elders to better connect to their ancestry.
Although technically a scripted series, the dark comedy is as real as
it gets; it was filmed on Oklahoma’s Muscogee Nation
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nuanced details layered into the set to capture the intricacies of
Native life. In short, it offers a rare intimate look into the complex
nature of Indigeneity
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[D’Pharaoh Woon-A-Tai and Dallas Goldtooth in Reservation Dogs.]

D’Pharaoh Woon-A-Tai and Dallas Goldtooth.

Shane Brown/FX

Native peoples have been storytellers for millennia, and yet, _Rez
Dogs_ is the first example of Native storytelling by Natives in pop
culture—which is why superfans like me were devastated to learn that
the third season would be the series’ last. But there’s so much to
be grateful for, including standout performances by young Indigenous
talent as well as a who’s who roster of notable Native actors making
regular appearances. That greats like Graham Greene
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underscores its significance.

The responsibility to improve Native representation in media isn’t
one to be taken lightly. In my recent conversations with actors
like Paulina Alexis
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who plays Willie Jack
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Dogs_, and Mo Brings Plenty
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they expressed a deep understanding of the weight on their shoulders
as part of the Indigenous reckoning afoot. Although they came of age
in different eras, both experienced the effects of Native
invisibility, much like me. Now, they’re answering the call to do
right for past, present, and future generations.

“If I fail at my job, then I’ve failed our people and our
ancestors,” Brings Plenty told me
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his role as American Indian affairs coordinator for
the _Yellowstone_ universe. He was so affected by the endless
messaging that his kind was unwanted during his upbringing across
South Dakota’s Lakota Nation
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he tried to take his own life as a teenager. After an unsuccessful
suicide attempt due to a faulty gun firing pin, his elders convinced
him he had a larger purpose in life.

“The kids are really looking up to us right now,” Alexis told me
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“One of my biggest responsibilities is just to be a good role model.
I want to help kids believe in themselves and feel like they
matter.” Growing up on Canada’s Alexis Nakota Sioux reserve
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wasn’t booking acting gigs because she was Native. Even at 23, she
realizes the impact seeing Indigenous actors like herself, Devery
Jacobs
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Woon-A-Tai [[link removed]],
and Lane Factor
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on the next generation.

[Georgeanne Growingthunder as Young Deer Lady in Reservation Dogs.]

Georgeanne Growingthunder

Shane Brown/FX

As part of today’s Native renaissance, we’re seeing a more open
dialogue about Indigenous issues as well as collaborative efforts
between Hollywood showrunners and Native communities. Take, for
example, Martin Scorsese’s_ __Killers of the Flower Moon_
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which hits theaters this fall. The famed filmmaker consulted
with tribal leaders
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accurately tell the story of the 1920s murders of the Osage people
over their oil-rich Oklahoma land. Of the partnership,
Blackfeet/Nimíipuu star Lily Gladstone
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“There’s that double-edged sword. You want to have more Natives
writing Native stories; you also want the masters to pay attention to
what’s going on.”

It’s a skillful way of saying that the process of increasing genuine
Native representation isn’t going to be perfect. Quite the
opposite—it will likely be complicated and challenging. But it’s
still an incredibly worthwhile endeavor, because there are so many
more stories to tell and myths to dispel. One major hurdle to be
overcome? The misconception that Native cultures are a monolith, where
in reality there are more than 570 federally recognized tribes
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their own uniquely beautiful lifeways. Thankfully, countless
Indigenous creatives across Turtle Island are already sharing their
stories.

And while there’s plenty of work yet to be done, the fact that a TV
series like _Rez Dogs_ exists is cause for celebration. It has
flipped the script on Indigenous entertainment, making this abundantly
clear: No longer will stories be told about Natives without Natives.

[Richard Ray Whitman as Old Man Fixico, Zahn McClarnon as Big in
Reservation Dogs.]

Richard Ray Whitman and Zahn McClarnon.

Shane Brown/FX

To the show’s creators, writers, actors, and entire crew, I say
thank you. You have helped me embrace my own Alaska Native identity on
my journey of healing—something you’ve done for countless Native
Americans who have spent years questioning their worth in a world that
told us we didn’t belong. Although I didn’t grow up seeing my own
culture properly depicted in media, I’m confident we’ve reached a
critical moment and can’t return to a time of ignorance about the
atrocities Indigenous communities have endured. _Reservation
Dogs_ is a salient reminder that we are still here.

_Keep obsessing! Sign up for the Daily Beast’s Obsessed newsletter
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_Kate Nelson
[[link removed]] @Kateisms
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* Native Americans
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* reservation dogs
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* TV
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