Five years ago, Canadian actor D91裸聊视频橮haraoh Woon-A-Tai never would91裸聊视频檝e expected to see a series like 91裸聊视频淩eservation Dogs91裸聊视频� south of the border.
But with it and several other Indigenous-led projects finally getting bigger platforms in the United States, change is afoot when it comes to such mainstream Hollywood representation, he says.
The 19-year-old, who grew up in Toronto and is of Oji-Cree, Anishinaabe and Guyanese descent, stars in the buzzy half-hour FX comedy as one of four Indigenous teens in rural Oklahoma mourning the death of a friend and resorting to petty crime to fund a getaway to California.
An Indigenous team including Oscar-winning 91裸聊视频淛ojo Rabbit91裸聊视频� filmmaker Taika Waititi and writer-producer Sterlin Harjo created the show, which debuts Wednesday on the Star section of Disney Plus in Canada. It premiered on Hulu in the United States in early August.
Oscar-winning filmmaker Barry Jenkins and Emmy-nominated actor-screenwriter Mindy Kaling are among those who91裸聊视频檝e tweeted raves about the series, in which every writer, director and main cast member is Indigenous.
91裸聊视频淔ive years ago this would be not even rare 91裸聊视频� it91裸聊视频檇 be impossible,91裸聊视频� Woon-A-Tai said in a recent phone interview.
91裸聊视频淏ut now I think that91裸聊视频檚 91裸聊视频� definitely going to change.91裸聊视频�
Woon-A-Tai noted the series comes a few months after the Peacock streaming service debuted 91裸聊视频淩utherford Falls,91裸聊视频� which touts the largest Indigenous writing staff for an American TV show and stars another Toronto-based actor, Plains Cree performer Michael Greyeyes.
Then there91裸聊视频檚 Harjo91裸聊视频檚 upcoming Indigenous basketball film for Netflix, 91裸聊视频淩ez Ball,91裸聊视频� which he co-wrote with Navajo filmmaker Sydney Freeland, who is directing.
With so many Indigenous projects coming out, the word 91裸聊视频渞are91裸聊视频� won91裸聊视频檛 be attached to such shows in the future, Woon-A-Tai said.
91裸聊视频淚 feel like that91裸聊视频檚 going to be the normal thing, eventually. I91裸聊视频檓 so happy and proud to be a part of one of the first few projects to start that.91裸聊视频�
Of course, such representation isn91裸聊视频檛 new in Canada, where the Aboriginal Peoples Television Network has given a major national platform to Indigenous-led series for many years. Examples include 91裸聊视频淢occasin Flats,91裸聊视频� which also aired on Showcase Television, and 91裸聊视频淢ohawk Girls,91裸聊视频� which also aired on the CBC.
As it turns out, several actors from this side of the border are also in 91裸聊视频淩eservation Dogs,91裸聊视频� which was filmed and set in Okmulgee, Okla., and features characters of Muscogee Creek and Seminole Creek heritage.
Other homegrown performers include Devery Jacobs and Paulina Alexis, who co-star as two members of the friend group; Sarah Podemski, who plays the mother to Woon-A-Tai91裸聊视频檚 character; and Gary Farmer, who plays Uncle Brownie.
Woon-A-Tai plays Bear Smallhill, whose conscience weighs on him as he and his friends get up to mischief. Lane Factor plays the other member of the friend group.
91裸聊视频淲hen I first met Taika and Sterlin at the audition, at the end of the audition they told me that if Taika and Sterlin had a kid, I would be that kid,91裸聊视频� Woon-A-Tai said with a laugh.
Harjo, who is a member of the Seminole Nation and has Muskogee heritage, used his own upbringing in Oklahoma as inspiration for the story.
Woon-A-Tai said every main character is based on someone from the childhood of either Harjo or Waititi, who is of M膩ori descent. Farmer91裸聊视频檚 character, for instance, is inspired by Harjo91裸聊视频檚 dad, and the late friend was based on someone Harjo knew. But the creators also took inspiration from the actors, adjusting the scripts the more they got to know them.
91裸聊视频淓verything you see inside that show, which may seem ridiculous, it91裸聊视频檚 probably true, it probably happened,91裸聊视频� said Woon-A-Tai, whose mother91裸聊视频檚 family descends from Guyana, while his father91裸聊视频檚 family hails from the isolated Big Trout Lake reserve in northwestern Ontario.
This is Woon-A-Tai91裸聊视频檚 biggest TV role to date, after smaller parts on series including the CBC91裸聊视频檚 91裸聊视频淢urdoch Mysteries91裸聊视频� and APTN91裸聊视频檚 91裸聊视频淭ribal.91裸聊视频� He was also in Tracey Deer91裸聊视频檚 acclaimed 2020 Canadian film 91裸聊视频淏eans,91裸聊视频� which also starred Alexis.
He said he91裸聊视频檚 glad his first foray into comedy is this project, considering 91裸聊视频淚ndigenous communities are just so funny.91裸聊视频�
91裸聊视频淵ou may hear that, but it91裸聊视频檚 very true. We tackle a lot of issues with comedy,91裸聊视频� he said. 91裸聊视频淎 lot of times when you speak to elders in traditional language, they91裸聊视频檒l always be cracking jokes.91裸聊视频�
Woon-A-Tai said he prepared for the role by learning Muscogee Creek words and traditions, and digging into the history of Oklahoma and its Indigenous communities, learning about tragedies including the genocidal forced displacement of tribes known as the Trail of Tears in the 1800s.
Overall, the series 91裸聊视频済ives people a chance to tear down misconceptions with Indigenous folks91裸聊视频� and is 91裸聊视频渘ormalizing91裸聊视频� Indigenous life, said Woon-A-Tai.
91裸聊视频淚91裸聊视频檓 very honoured just to be a part of this project,91裸聊视频� he said. 91裸聊视频淭he fact that I get to represent a Nation that I91裸聊视频檓 thousands of miles away from 91裸聊视频� talking to locals, doing it accurately 91裸聊视频� that91裸聊视频檚 what the really important part was for me, because yes, we are all native but we come from very different diverse communities that have different traditions.91裸聊视频�
Victoria Ahearn, The Canadian Press
