Reservation Dogs

 Hannah Crouser 

This show portrays Native American life for what it truly is. Hollywood has been portraying Native Americans through stereotypes since the beginning, but this show reflects on the hardships Natives who live on reservations face today. One episode I particularly enjoyed, and found interesting, was one where they were having a concert for diabetes in the Native American population. Native Americans are two times as likely to get diabetes than non-natives. This speaks to the lack of healthcare that is offered to Native Americans, as well as showcases the injustices that they have been handed. I found it interesting that the community's plan was to sell fry bread at this event to raise money, when fry bread is one of the reasons so many Native Americans develop diabetes. Fry bread was a food created out of necessity. When Native Americans were forced out of their home the ingredients to make fry bread were all that they were given, but the ingredients are not that healthy. To many fry bread symbolizes the perseverance and adaptability of the Native people, but it also represents oppression and forced assimilation. If you don’t know the history behind fry bread the community member mentioning the selling of fry bread would have been no big deal, but for those who do know the history you understand the nuance behind it.



Comments

  1. David BernellFebruary 24, 2023 at 4:52 PM

    This post illustrates very well the way in which seemingly small elements of life and culture can be easily overlooked, but once we take a closer look, they can turn out to reveal things of great significance about history, politics, and society.

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