In both Canada and the United States, Native American representation in film and movies has often been sparse, leaving a lot to be desired in terms of how Indigenous people are depicted and the storylines they are allowed to have. Whilethe Western moviesof the 1960s evoke a great sense of wonder and awe at the American frontier and the concept of Manifest Destiny in the context ofcowboys and stoic protagonists, Native Americans have often been shown as antagonists that adhere to harmful and reductive stereotypes. This form of entertainment has been a part of a continued history that has undermined the foundations of native life and society for decades.
However, in recent years Native creators have increasingly stepped up, becoming more vocal and creating content that is accurate to their lives and experiences. This is only the beginning of a long fight for equitable representation on the screen, as reports done by UCLA (viaVariety) have found that as of 2021, around 0.5% of Native representation can be found in movies, while the number is even lower. The statistics for the number of native writers, directors, and people working behind the scenes are just as grim. There are some television shows in the past couple of years gaining popularity for being led by Native American storytellers — here are some of them that should be added to your to-watch list.
5Basketball or Nothing
Basketball or Nothingwas released in 2019 on Netflix, shedding light on a high school in Navajo Nation. In a remote town in northeast Arizona, basketball has become a way of life for the people living on the Navajo Nation Reservation. Unfortunately, the high school on the reservation, Chinle, is plagued by a plethora of serious issues: alcoholism, drugs, and suicides. Life for Native Americans on reservations often involves denied access to resources, so for the students at the high school, basketball has become an outlet and way to escape from the issues of life thrown at them.Basketball or Nothinghas a lot of heart contained within its story, and despite the hard circumstances these kids and their families experience every day, their story continues to inspire.
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4Dark Winds
The second season of AMC+’sDark Windsis coming out soon in 2023, but the first season was highly successful upon its release in 2022. Its writers’ roomheld Native American writers, and the cast also features Native American actors. The series had been in the making for decades and was set in the American southwest during the 1970s. Filmed on Navajo land, the first season focuses on two Navajo police officers — inspired directly by the novels written by the author Tony Hillerman — trying to solve a crime after an elderly Navajo man witnesses a crime in the making. As the six episodes dive deeper into solving the crime and its mysteries, things aren’t as they seem.
3Rutherford Falls
Peacock’sRutherford Fallscame out in 2021, and the sitcom includes Navajo showrunner, producer, and filmmaker Sierra Nizhoni Teller Ornelas at its helm. Ed Helms and Jana Schmieding star as two friends from a fictional small town, Nathan and Reagan. While Nathan is white, Reagan is a member of the fictional Minishonka Nation in the series. What sparks conflict between these two is that a statue honoring the town’s founder is being moved, but the man the statue depicts is Nathan’s ancestor. As Nathan advocates for the statue and what it represents, Reagan has to grapple with the implications of this while representing her community and their collective history.
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2Mohawk Girls
Developed by Tracey Deer, a Mohawk member raised in the Kahnawake Mohawk Territory in Quebec,Mohawk Girlsoriginally was a 2005 documentary. Then, in 2014, the series was released as a comedy-drama television series that ended up being picked by Peacock for their streaming service. Deer has described her series asSex and the City, except for natives, and it does emulate those vibes. Three best friends living in Kahnawake are in their late twenties, navigating through life and its struggles. They are soon joined by another new friend, who is of mixed Mohawk descent, as everything seems to fall apart.
1Reservation Dogs
Reservation Dogshas become one of the standout hits in the television world for the combined years of 2022 and 2021, and there’s a variety of reasons why. The series was created by Sterlin Harjoand Taika Waititiand became the first television series that was completely made by writers and directors who were Indigenous. Set in rural Oklahoma, four Native teenagers dream of packing up and moving away to California after the death of a dear friend before the series starts. They must learn to deal with the grief of losing a friend so young, while also experiencing the unique challenges of being a Native in contemporary America.
