Reservation Dogs- Havlyn Ehrich

The show Reservation Dogs portrays a group of young teens on an Indian reservation struggling with cultural identities. More specifically, the ties between their Native heritage and being submersed in pop culture. This show exhibits multiple scenes of classic Native ideas. We can see that when their friend Daniel has his memorial, they burn things for smoke and ‘wash’ themselves in it. This practice can also be seen in their cultural heritage and the kids want to keep that tradition around. On a less serious note, we also see the more intended comical side of what people think about Native American life. Multiple scenes have a ‘traditional Native man’ where an Indian in classic clothing and feathers appears. Tied with this traditional look, he also is portrayed as a comical character who is not taken very seriously and does funny things for laughs. Similarly, there is also a scene where the kids visit one of their uncles who is very fond of smoking and getting high. They turn the scene to a smoke shop where he tries a new and improved type of marijuana to which he gets extremely high off of. Ancient traditions do rely on drugs like this but more as a ceremonial and relaxing sense and less as a funny, get high and have fun use like that seen in pop culture. The writer of this show, Sterlin Harjo, definitely uses traditions from his native heritage and turns them into something the audience can ‘ laugh with them’ as he says. Using traditional ideas and common viewpoints of how the world views native culture, the writer exacerbates it to shed light to the situation. Harjo mocks these ancient ideas purposefully in order for the audience to see how these traditions can easily be turned into ‘pop culture cliches’. Some people, though intended to bring light to the situation, are probably not happy with the ludicrous ideas Harjo wants to convey. Others may find this show funny and create the environment that the writer wants his audience to feel. Despite his desire for comedy about it, Harjo also shows the struggles of reservation life and the struggles of Natives today. He calls on the audience to remember what happened to the Native Americans in the past and how they are still struggling today. Overall, the writer brings multiple thought provoking ideas and concepts to the show that can fill the audience with mixed emotions.