Podcast Summary: All Of It – Sterlin Harjo on 'Reservation Dogs'

Host: Alison Stewart (WNYC)
Guest: Sterlin Harjo (Executive Producer, Director & Co-Writer, Reservation Dogs)
Date: September 13, 2024

Overview:

This episode centers on Sterlin Harjo, showrunner of Reservation Dogs, as the acclaimed show wraps its groundbreaking run. Harjo discusses the show's conclusion, its deep Oklahoma roots, Indigenous representation, casting choices, and how the series thoughtfully addresses community, storytelling, and historical trauma—all with Harjo's signature subtlety and authenticity.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Emotional Impact of Ending the Series

• Bittersweet Farewell (03:52)
  • Harjo expresses mixed feelings about closing the show: “Yeah, I mean, it's a mixed bag of being happy about it, but also, you know, it's emotional… A lot of love went into this and… my life changed, a lot of people’s lives changed.” (03:52, Sterlin Harjo)
  • He reflects on seeing the experience “in the rearview mirror now,” admitting it's a “strange” and emotional process.

2. Authenticity and the Importance of Setting

• Oklahoma as a Character (04:40)
  • Harjo insists the landscape is inseparable from the show: “It is such a character in the show... Everything that you see, all of it. Nothing is exaggerated or stretched. It's literally how life is.”
  • The setting is not just a backdrop, but a genuine representation of rural Native life that resonates both with insiders and those newly discovering the culture.

3. Subtlety Over Exposition

• Cultural Nuance Without Explanation (05:41 – 06:48)
  • The show’s approach is immersive, allowing non-Native audiences to learn customs organically: “I'm sort of a sucker for subtlety... It's always a balance of not being too subtle, but not hitting people over the head with a hammer... That’s my style.” (05:50, Sterlin Harjo)
  • Highlight: Characters use Native language conversationally with no subtitles or explanation; viewers learn meaning contextually.
  • Example: The word ‘mado’ (thank you) is absorbed through repeated use.

4. Storytelling Lineage

• Family Influence on Narrative Style (06:48 – 09:05)
  • Harjo describes growing up around master storytellers—both Native and non-Native—to explain his ability to craft rich, layered stories.
  • Quotes tales of folklore, myth, and family history as sources: “[My grandma] would tell stories and paint these pictures in this way. And I owe a lot to both sides of my family... The common denominator is rural Oklahoma.”
  • Emphasized the importance of surrealism and everyday mythologies in Native life: “Within that, there's a surrealism... that's also a part of it.”

5. Casting Process and Representation

• Finding the Right Actors (and Changing the Script) (09:05 – 10:50)

  • Harjo sought actors who were authentic to their characters but could also surprise him.
  • Example: Paulina Alexis was originally auditioned for Elora but ultimately inspired Harjo to reimagine Willie Jack as a female, saying, “I just re-envisioned what if she plays Willie Jack... and, you know, obviously, it paid off.”
  • Cheese’s character, too, was tailored to Lane Factor after his unique audition.

• Authenticity Resonating with Viewers

  • Shared an anecdote about a community member resembling Willie Jack, highlighting the impact of true-to-life representation: “She literally started, you know, every now and then, like, you know, somebody'd buy her a drink or something. She's like, that's me. It's me.” (10:50, Sterlin Harjo)

6. Mentorship, Spirits, and Community

• Spiritual Realism and Guidance (13:29–15:09)
  • Discussion of how spirits and supernatural elements function naturally in the storyline and Native communities, blurring the lines between reality and the mythic.
  • On Bear’s journey: “I think that Bear realizes that there was something in his life that was missing... and that spirit was there to sort of fill that and also to guide him in weird ways... In Native communities, that's what I love, is that there's not a lot of division between sort of the mythological and the surreal and reality. It's very matter of fact.”

7. Addressing Historical Trauma with Authenticity

• Incorporating Difficult Histories (15:09–17:10)
  • Stories of colonization, the Indian Child Welfare Act, boarding schools are woven in not as lessons, but as lived reality. "I have to do something with [this platform]... my favorite way to do that is through just storytelling."
  • Harjo on the “Dear Lady” episode: “I didn’t approach... thinking like, oh, I'm going to teach people. That was sort of a byproduct of it. I mean, I know about this stuff, my grandparents were there... So, it’s not something that I’m like, oh, I’m gonna teach them that one. Because it was just part of my life.”
  • Noted that community—its breaking and rebuilding—is a central theme.

8. The Power (and Limits) of Personal Story

• Autobiographical Elements and Series Conclusion (17:33–18:23)
  • Reflected on the personal nature of key storylines, especially the passing of his grandmother: “That, you know, again, that is my life. Like, that was my grandma. That's exactly what happened when my grandma passed down to when Big brings the giant squash... When a story is that personal, it's hard to go wrong... and also hard to keep it going forever... at a certain point, it ends.”

9. Creative Integrity and Non-Negotiables

• Commitment to Place and Detail (18:43–20:24)
  • Harjo stood firm on filming in Oklahoma, “I told them, my agents and everyone, I said that I wouldn’t make the show. And this is after it was greenlit. And I was like, well, I won’t make the show if we shoot anywhere else... the land is the most important thing in a story about us.”
  • The network (FX) ultimately supported the decision.
  • Even small details—like style choices (“Paulina wearing slides... gotta have sides and socks... buy some basketball shorts”)—were defended as essential for authenticity.

10. The Finale: Endings and Legacy

• Reflections on the Series Finale (20:24–21:05)
  • Harjo on the show’s conclusion: “I think that our finale is the perfect finale. I think that it ends in the way that the show should end. It ends in humor, and it ends in heartbreak, but it ends in hope, and it ends with everyone being there.”

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “It's a mixed bag... my life changed, a lot of people’s lives changed.” (03:52, Sterlin Harjo)
• “Oklahoma... is such a character in the show … Nothing is exaggerated or stretched. It's literally how life is.” (04:40)
• “I'm sort of a sucker for subtlety. Sometimes I feel like I go too subtle... But, you know, that's my style of storytelling.” (05:50)
• “We have a platform... my favorite way... is through just storytelling. I didn’t approach [episodes] thinking, ‘I’m going to teach people.’ That was a byproduct.” (15:31, Sterlin Harjo)
• “If I’m telling the story of their descendants, it needs to be in the place where they ended up at the end of the Trail of Tears.” (19:00, Sterlin Harjo)
• “It’s not a crime show. It’s not X-Files... it is my life, so at a certain point, it ends.” (17:51, Sterlin Harjo)

Highlighted Segments and Timestamps

• [03:52] Sterlin Harjo on the emotional complexity of ending the series
• [04:40] On Oklahoma as an essential character in Reservation Dogs
• [05:50] Harjo’s narrative style and preference for subtlety
• [06:48] – [09:05] Storytelling heritage and family influences
• [09:23] Casting the central characters and adapting scripts for actors’ strengths
• [10:50] The impact of authentic representation on Native communities
• [13:29] Spiritual realism and blending myth with daily life
• [15:31] Incorporating and contextualizing historical trauma
• [17:33] Real-life inspirations for major episodes
• [18:43] Non-negotiables in production—why filming in Oklahoma mattered
• [20:24] The “perfect” finale: humor, heartbreak, hope, and presence

Tone and Takeaways

Throughout the conversation, Harjo’s approach is understated yet deeply intentional. He avoids didacticism, preferring to invite viewers into a fully realized world that’s as humorous as it is heart-wrenching, as ordinary as it is mythic. By centering land, lived experience, and community, Reservation Dogs not only entertains—it transforms understanding of Indigenous stories on television.

For more from culture makers like Sterlin Harjo, listen to ALL OF IT on WNYC.