Season three of Reservation Dogs will mark the final instalment of the acclaimed comedy series, which centres on four Native American teenagers living in rural Oklahoma.
Engaging in criminal activities and combating them, these adolescents traverse their daily lives in this distinctive production.
Debuting in 2021, the show is helmed by Sterlin Harjo, a director hailing from the Seminole and Muscogee Creek Nation in Oklahoma.
Assisting him is Taika Waititi, an Academy Award-winning filmmaker and a long-standing friend of Harjo. Speaking about their collaboration, Harjo acknowledges Waititi's contribution: "Taika played a crucial role in setting the tone for the pilot... He placed trust in me, and it is truly a gift that he supported me in this project."
Indigenous production
Notably, Reservation Dogs stands as the first and sole television series wherein all writers, directors, and regular cast members are of Indigenous descent. A fusion of comedy and drama, the FX series, accessible via Hulu, follows the aspirations of four teenagers yearning to transcend the limited opportunities presented to them within the reservations they inhabit.
The show not only underscores the significance of Native traditions but also satirises howlucida these traditions can devolve into trite and self-righteous aspects of popular culture. "I aimed to directly illustrate the impact such occurrences have on individuals," Harjo says. "For me, the most effective approach was to showcase the ensuing aftermath and how it reverberates throughout the community."
Working with non-indigenous vital
Harjo emphasises the significance of collaborating with individuals from non-Indigenous backgrounds, attributing it to his triumphs. "Filmmaking embodies a collaborative art form. One must remain receptive to others' teachings, incorporating their knowledge into one's work, thereby enhancing its quality. Alternatively, resisting this knowledge will only stagnate one's artistic output."
His advice to young filmmakers is to simply learn from their failures.
“Make stuff, fail, keep failing, and learn from it. And do that over and over and at some point, your failures go down and the quality of your work goes up, and you are where you want to be.”
The eagerly anticipated third season is to premiere on August 2.