Sterlin Harjo (‘Reservation Dogs’ showrunner): ‘As native people, you’re born into a rebellion’ [Exclusive Video Interview]

  • Oops!
    Something went wrong.
    Please try again later.
  • Oops!
    Something went wrong.
    Please try again later.

“I think that I’m just attracted to that kind of storytelling,” declares Sterlin Harjo about telling stories that are both funny and serious on his recently concluded “Reservation Dogs.” For our recent webchat he adds, “If I have to stay with one genre, for lack of a better word, it would be comedies that are dramatic and dramas that are comedic.” We talked with Harjo as part of Gold Derby’s special “Meet the Experts” Q&A event with 2023/2024 awards contenders. Watch our exclusive video interview above.

SEE ‘Reservation Dogs’ goes out on a high note: Third and final season is ‘satisfying on every level’

More from GoldDerby

In “Reservation Dogs,” a gang of four indigenous teenagers from a small reservation community in Oklahoma try to make sense of life after the death of a friend. The coming of age comedy was created by Harjo and Oscar winner Taika Waititi (“Jojo Rabbit”), and stars D’Pharaoh Woon-A-Tai, Devery Jacobs, Lane Factor and Paulina Alexis as the titular “Rez Dogs.” The show broke ground as the first of its kind, spotlighting Native American stories by indigenous cast and crew. Critics and fans loved the show for its its ambitious storytelling, combining laugh out loud comedic elements and contemplative dramatic elements over three acclaimed seasons.

“As native people, you’re born into a rebellion. You’re literally the rebel, you’re literally born into this fight. And even if it’s not a fight in your life, you know that your ancestors went through a fight and you know that you’re here by the grace of God and people that that that came before you,” Harjo explains. “So, that’s all in you. And that’s dramatic. And then also, I think that our humor is a way to survive. So those things just blend together and I’m not saying that I like we have the copyright on that, but that’s what I’m drawn to and that’s what I think a lot of native people are drawn to.”

PREDICT the 2024 Golden Globe nominees

Make your predictions at Gold Derby now. Download our free and easy app for Apple/iPhone devices or Android (Google Play) to compete against legions of other fans plus our experts and editors for best prediction accuracy scores. See our latest prediction champs. Can you top our esteemed leaderboards next? Always remember to keep your predictions updated because they impact our latest racetrack odds, which terrify Hollywood chiefs and stars. Don’t miss the fun. Speak up and share your huffy opinions in our famous forums where 5,000 showbiz leaders lurk every day to track latest awards buzz. Everybody wants to know: What do you think? Who do you predict and why?

SIGN UP for Gold Derby’s free newsletter with latest predictions

Best of GoldDerby

Sign up for Gold Derby's Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

Click here to read the full article.