Commentary by Matthew Kincanon | FāVS News 10-9-2024
Back in August, IllumiNative released a study that described how Native-led shows like “Reservation Dogs” and “Rutherford Falls” had a positive effect on viewers, showing that Native-led projects are not only in-demand but are proving to be educational and impactful.
The positive impact of authentic Native-led projects
According to the study, viewers who watched the aforementioned Native-led shows were more likely to agree with policies that support and center Indigenous voices, such as the government upholding treaty and trust responsibilities and the Indian Child Welfare Act (ICWA). Also, watching Native-led shows was associated with knowledge of and beliefs about Native communities. And shows with Native talent in front and behind the camera were received better by audiences.
I was ecstatic to see these results because it further proves that Indigenous media’s recent momentum is dispelling stereotypes that have plagued Indigenous representation in TV and film and is encouraging viewers to learn more about and support Tribal Nations.
Not only that, I also wanted to see what Native creatives in my network thought about the study, too.
Joey Clift (citizen of the Cowlitz Tribe), an Emmy-nominated writer and producer who worked on Netflix’s “Spirit Ranger” and PBS’s “Molly of Denali,” said the research put into data what a lot of Native creatives had suspected for years.
That “authentic Native stories are important in media, and, outside of making for great television and films, they also help educate non-Native viewers about our experiences while also giving Native viewers pride and the ability to believe that we belong in mainstream spaces.”
Americans’ appetite for Indigenous stories
As I covered in an article earlier this year about Indigenous filmmaking, a majority of Americans have an appetite for Indigenous stories, and this study shows they are learning a lot from and connecting with what they are consuming.
JaNae Collins (enrolled citizen of the Fort Peck Assiniboine and Sioux Tribes and half Crow Tribe), who played Cookie in “Reservation Dogs” and Reta in “Killers of the Flower Moon,” said she has received a lot of feedback about her character Cookie and how viewers connected with her.
“I think she connected emotionally to a large amount of people, as many of us have felt the loss of a loved one that went on too soon and didn’t get to see their children, nieces and nephews grow up,” Collins said.
When it comes to the show, Collins said she loved how everything is connected, has great replay value and the intricacies of the stories are all heartbreakingly beautiful.
“I absolutely love the series as a viewer, getting invested in the characters and their feelings, goals, vulnerabilities, resiliency, and humor,” she said. “Getting to work on it as Cookie made me see the true dedication and love each and every person on set had for each other and the story. It was truly life changing and one of the fondest memories of my life.”
Unapologetically Native
Clift expressed great admiration for both TV shows as well and loved how relatable and unapologetically Native they are.
“Growing up on a reservation and being connected with so many Native folks in my life, there are a lot of archetypes and stories I see day to day that I’ve never seen represented on screen,” he said. “It’s refreshing to see television shows feature characters like Deer Woman, trash-talking Aunties and Native kids obsessed with Native street fashion. I relate to it, and feel represented by it in a way that I haven’t previously felt represented in television, and it’s a great feeling!”
He added that the shows he worked on, “Spirit Rangers” and “Molly of Denali,” have brought Native adults and elders to tears because they never thought they would see Native youth represented on screen in an authentic way. He also heard stories about how these two shows helped educate non-Native kids and adults about Native issues.
Studios should take notice and invest
This impact is all the more reason why studios should keep investing in Native-led projects because these are more than just entertainment. These projects are undoing centuries of wrongs and giving Native creatives the platforms they need to share their stories, connect with Native viewers for generations to come and have all future representations of Indigenous communities be based on a foundation of truth and authenticity rather than stereotypes and whitewashed history.
“Studios should take notice that when they do hire Natives to do the job, the hype starts for an entire demographic of people. It’s marketing on its own!” Collins said. “When projects with Native subject matter fail to hire Natives in decision making positions, it falls flat and doesn’t get the same hype or gets negative blowback from Indian Country, financially fails and falls into the category of the ‘See! Native content doesn’t make money’ excuse.”
Hiring Natives does impact the projects directly, she described. When they are done correctly, she said Indian Country can and does support them.
She said the IllumiNative study is important because studios and execs need to see that and take it into consideration when developing Native subject matter both fiction and non-fiction.
“Bottom line, Natives at the helm connect and educate and the study provides empirical evidence for that,” she said.
Access to a variety of content
In the last five years, there has been a boom of Indigenous content and streaming gives us that access. Netflix, Hulu, Disney+, Paramount+, AppleTV+, Peacock, Shudder and even The Criterion Channel all have Indigenous content ready for us to dive into.
Not only that, there’s been an effort to create Indigenous dubs of movies and shows. These include “Prey,” “Echo,” “Finding Nemo,” “Toy Story,” “The Avengers,” “Moana,” “Frozen 2” and “Coco.” These dubs show a large demand for stories told in Indigenous languages and warrant the time, money and effort to hire Indigenous speakers and actors to create these.
Because of the cornucopia of authentic content, Indigenous movies and shows exist for everyone alongside comedies like “Reservation Dogs” and “Rutherford Falls.” Enjoy mystery? You can watch “Dark Winds.” Looking for a coming-of-age story? There’s “Frybread Face and Me” or “The Roof.” Want a drama movie that hits hard? AppleTV+ has “Fancy Dance.” Craving action? Pull up Marvel’s “Echo.”
Into science fiction? Hulu has “Prey” and “Slash/Back.” Want a bio pic? There’s “The Cherokee Word for Water.” Are you looking for something you can watch with your kids? “Spirit Rangers” and “Molly of Denali” are great choices. There is so much content now that it’s hard to pick where to start.
“If you want to see Native stories in the media and you’re a fan of any particular genre, there’s a recent project for you,” Clift said.
Native-led projects in the future
Collins has high hopes for what is to come. In this era of Native filmmaking, she said creators are at the helm with a beautiful sense of self, community, spirituality, humor and commitment to their people.
“I think, at this point, the biggest problem so far is the funding going into our projects. So many can’t move forward because of this,” she said. “I hope that changes and more opportunities arise for our existing Native writers, showrunners, directors, producers and actors as well as the up and coming generations.”
While she understands the film industry is tough and funding is extremely competitive, she said they’ve established that Native-led projects can and will make a large impact and that their filmmakers and writers are more than capable of tackling any subject matter pertaining to them and their people.
“More trust from the studios to tell our own stories and to back them with funding equals more stories told and the bigger impact we will have on society to continue to show that we are still here,” Collins said.
There are people in this country who still think Natives are extinct. But as Collins, Clift and a majority of my Indigenous friends and network have told me over the years, they are still here. The more Native-led movies and series that are created and promoted, the more progress can be made in ensuring no one believes that anymore.
Native-led recommendations of Native movies and shows
Collins recommends people watch Native-led movies and shows such as “Mekko,” “On The Ice,” “Blackstone,” “Mohawk Girls,” “Slash/Back,” “Rhymes for Young Ghouls,” “Blood Quantum” and “Atanarjuat.” She added that she was excited about Netflix’s sports drama “Rez Ball” and a particular episode of “Welcome to Derry.”
Clift also recommended “Rez Ball,” as well as “Frybread Face and Me,” “Hey, Viktor!” and “Fancy Dance.”
He said he is extremely excited to see what their current crop of Native creatives do next. He said members of the “Reservation Dogs” and “Rutherford Falls” teams are going to work on their own projects, and Lily Gladstone is working on several movies.
“These are all people who are now vetted within the Hollywood system and I can’t wait to see where they all spider web off to,” he said.
Currently, Clift is working on a dream project. It’s an animated, comedy short film called “Pow!” about a young Native kid trying to find a place to charge his video game console at a powwow.
Collins said she is getting back into auditioning after taking a break these past few months.
Watch and learn
I’ve been following this Indigenous media movement for several years now and even have a section in my collection of over 1,000 DVDs dedicated to Indigenous content. Before, I could keep track of new projects easily, but now I’m having a hard time keeping up. I’m seeing so many posts about new ones being in development. It’s a very good problem for me to have, and, at this rate, I’m gonna have to find more shelf space.
We don’t often get opportunities to be part of movements that change history and society. To some, these are just movies and TV shows with good writing, actors and production values. But what they really are is an opportunity for us to learn about Indigenous cultures and real history, denounce all the myths we may have about Natives and support a whole community of talented artists who have a lot to offer and a bunch of stories to share.
As shown in the study, watching Native-led movies and shows is making us into better people, and we can be part of that positive change IllumiNative detailed in their work from our living rooms.
All we have to do is sit, watch and learn.
The views expressed in this opinion column are those of the author. They do not necessarily reflect the views of FāVS News. FāVS News values diverse perspectives and thoughtful analysis on matters of faith and spirituality.
Matthew Kincanon
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