About five years ago, the Indigenous scene in the entertainment industry was essentially nonexistent.
The number of Native American staff writers, screenwriters and television actors accounted for about one percent of the 2019-2020 television season, according to various data sources.
Prior to that, depictions of harmful Native American stereotypes ran rampant on screen, such as the ruthless warrior or vulnerable victim stereotypes.
But, stepping into a new decade in 2020, those portrayals started to dissipate, with more Indigenous creatives taking seats at decision-making tables — notably Sterlin Harjo, Jana Schmieding and Sierra Teller Ornelas, among others.
Researchers began examining this rise in Indigenous representation and noticed how portrayals of Native American people started to become more nuanced and contemporary. However, no research quantified how these shows impacted audiences until now.
On Tuesday, a team at the women-led Indigenous non-profit IllumiNative and researchers at the USC Annenberg Norman Lear Center released a report revealing the effect three recent shows — Reservation Dogs, Rutherford Falls, and Yellowstone — had on viewers.
Ultimately, they found Native representation on screens and sets mattered because they determined how viewers responded to issues about Indigenous communities.
For example, among the Reservation Dog viewers surveyed, they were more likely to support the Indian Child Welfare Act — a protection for tribal nations to safeguard their children, cultures and communities after a history of forced family separation.
It is important to note all the writers and directors of Reservation Dogs were Indigenous, and the cast and production team were mostly Native American.
Similarly viewers of Rutherford Falls were more likely to condemn Native American mascots for sports teams, which can be harmful to Native American students. They also agree “that the U.S. should be required to uphold treat obligations that enable Native Americans to control their own lands.”
However, viewers of Yellowstone — a show with no Native writers, producers or directors — were more likely to support Native-themed mascots and keeping Columbus Day a national holiday. They were also not as likely to correctly identify this statement, compared to non-viewers: “Native Americans are one of the fastest growing groups in the United States.”
The report’s authors find the path toward better entertainment industry representation means more Indigenous talent in leadership roles, tribal specificity and diversifying Indigenous experiences. It also means investing in more Indigenous talent, stories with joy and jokes, and setting shows up to run for multiple seasons.
To read the entire “Native Representation on Scripted Television report, which also included content analysis findings about how Native characters are depicted on scripted television, click here.
