- Details
- By Jenna Kunze
The all Indigneous cast and creators of the Hulu smash hit Reservation Dogs stood and embraced one another last night at the 2022 Film Independent Spirit Award Ceremony for their latest wins: Best Scripted Series and Best Ensemble Cast in a New Scripted Series.
The Film Independent Spirit Awards recognizes the top talent from film and television each year.
Reservation Dogs, written by Sterlin Harjo and Taika Waititi, is a television comedy series that follows four Indigenous teenagers who attempt to get to California by stealing, robbing and saving in rural Oklahoma. Every writer, director and series regular on the show is Indigenous, a first in Hollywood television history. The show streams exclusively on HULU.
Want more Native News? Get the free daily newsletter today.
“That's why we made this show, because we told stories about home and they were all funny, and there was nothing on TV that was funny that had Natives in it,” Harjo said in the group’s acceptance speech for best scripted series on Sunday. “And we wanted to show you how funny we are. No one knew we were funny.”
The show’s new accolade will be added to a laundry list of prior recognition. In December, Reservation Dogs received a Golden Globe nomination for “Best Television Series – Musical or Comedy.” They also took home Gotham Awards 2021 Best Shortform Breakthrough Series, and was nominated for the Pena de Prata 2021 Best Comedy Series.
The show’s four lead actors hail from across Indian Country, including: D'Pharaoh Woon-A-Tai (Ojibwe), Devery Jacobs (Kanien'kehá:ka Mohawk), Paulina Alexis (Alexis Nakota Sioux Nation), and Lane Factor (Caddo and Seminole Creek).
“This prize is so much bigger than just ourselves,” said Jacobs, accepting the Best Ensemble Cast award. “ Each of us come from different nations across Turtle Island who survived 500 years of colonization….All those who came before us working in Hollywood, playing antagonists in Western movies and mythic, stoic, and savage Indians, to Native creators who've had to endure and break down tropes in this industry. We are here accepting this award because of you.”
More Stories Like This
"Your'e No Indian" Examines the Disenrollment IssueAgua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians to Open New Exhibition: Section 14 – The Untold Story
Actor Jonathan Joss, Voice of John Redcorn, Killed in Texas Shooting
Celebrate Summer and Father’s Day at the Chickasaw Cultural Center – June 14
After 30 Years, Berkeley's Turtle Island Monument Foundation Will Be Built
Help us tell the stories that could save Native languages and food traditions
At a critical moment for Indian Country, Native News Online is embarking on our most ambitious reporting project yet: "Cultivating Culture," a three-year investigation into two forces shaping Native community survival—food sovereignty and language revitalization.
The devastating impact of COVID-19 accelerated the loss of Native elders and with them, irreplaceable cultural knowledge. Yet across tribal communities, innovative leaders are fighting back, reclaiming traditional food systems and breathing new life into Native languages. These aren't just cultural preservation efforts—they're powerful pathways to community health, healing, and resilience.
Our dedicated reporting team will spend three years documenting these stories through on-the-ground reporting in 18 tribal communities, producing over 200 in-depth stories, 18 podcast episodes, and multimedia content that amplifies Indigenous voices. We'll show policymakers, funders, and allies how cultural restoration directly impacts physical and mental wellness while celebrating successful models of sovereignty and self-determination.
This isn't corporate media parachuting into Indian Country for a quick story. This is sustained, relationship-based journalism by Native reporters who understand these communities. It's "Warrior Journalism"—fearless reporting that serves the 5.5 million readers who depend on us for news that mainstream media often ignores.
We need your help right now. While we've secured partial funding, we're still $450,000 short of our three-year budget. Our immediate goal is $25,000 this month to keep this critical work moving forward—funding reporter salaries, travel to remote communities, photography, and the deep reporting these stories deserve.
Every dollar directly supports Indigenous journalists telling Indigenous stories. Whether it's $5 or $50, your contribution ensures these vital narratives of resilience, innovation, and hope don't disappear into silence.
The stakes couldn't be higher. Native languages are being lost at an alarming rate. Food insecurity plagues many tribal communities. But solutions are emerging, and these stories need to be told.
Support independent Native journalism. Fund the stories that matter.
Levi Rickert (Potawatomi), Editor & Publisher
