- Details
- By Native StoryLab
When a show centered on Navajo detectives earns a 100% rating on Rotten Tomatoes three seasons in a row, it’s no longer just a series. It’s a cultural moment.
This week on Native Bidaské, we sit down with the stars of AMC’s critically acclaimed thriller Dark Winds: Zahn McClarnon (“Joe Leaphorn,” Executive Producer & Director), Kiowa Gordon (“Jim Chee”), Jessica Matten (“Bernadette Manuelito”), and Franka Potente (“Irene Vaggan”). Together, they pull back the curtain on a show redefining Native representation on screen.
So how did a crime drama rooted in Navajo Country become a ratings powerhouse?
The Season 3 premiere drew more than 2.2 million viewers — a 50% jump over Season 2. The series has performed strongly on AMC+, and during its Netflix run, it broke into the platform’s Top 10. Audiences are watching. Critics are praising. And Native storytelling is driving the momentum.
But in this episode, we go beyond the accolades.
What does it mean for Native actors to carry a series with this level of visibility? Season 4 confronts the ongoing crisis of Missing and Murdered Indigenous People, including young Native girls and teens — a devastating reality for communities across Indian Country. We ask about the research, consultation, and conversations with Native experts that shaped this storyline — and how the cast and creative team approached it with care and responsibility.
We also explore why this season is dedicated to the late Robert Redford, the executive producer who championed Indigenous storytelling. What themes anchor this chapter? How does the show address contemporary Indigenous issues while remaining grounded in its 1970s setting? And what shifts when the story leaves Navajo Nation for Los Angeles?
Each answer reveals something deeper: Dark Winds isn’t expanding for spectacle — it’s expanding for truth.
With Navajo writers, cultural advisors, and community voices guiding the process, the show proves that Native-led storytelling isn’t niche. It’s necessary.
Join us live on Native Bidaské as we explore the WHY behind the show’s success — and the HOW behind bringing Navajo noir to a global stage — ahead of the Season 4 premiere on Sunday, February 15.
Watch on Facebook, YouTube, and NativeNewsOnline.net.
Help us defend tribal sovereignty.
At Native News Online, our mission is rooted in telling the stories that strengthen sovereignty and uplift Indigenous voices — not just at year’s end, but every single day.
Because of your generosity last year, we were able to keep our reporters on the ground in tribal communities, at national gatherings and in the halls of Congress — covering the issues that matter most to Indian Country: sovereignty, culture, education, health and economic opportunity.
That support sustained us through a tough year in 2025. Now, as we look to the year ahead, we need your help right now to ensure warrior journalism remains strong — reporting that defends tribal sovereignty, amplifies Native truth, and holds power accountable.
The stakes couldn't be higher. Your support keeps Native voices heard, Native stories told and Native sovereignty defended.
Stand with Warrior Journalism today.
Levi Rickert (Potawatomi), Editor & Publisher