Reservation Dogs

"Like Goonies," is a phrase I wish the critique reviewer never used about "Reservation Dogs." Reservation Dogs is the latest premier on Hulu Fx and was written & produced by Taika Waititi and Sterlin Harjo. I love the Goonies. It's a Cult Classic and that is the conclusion that Shirley Li came up with. So my take is she must be in her late thirties or early forties because Goonies was an eighties film. That most likely means she was too young to have really understood the fact that Corey Feldman would later be a troubled child actor or that having Cyndi Lauper premier as the musical background artist was a nod toward the mesh between pop cultures Mtv and the Big Screen. I mean these are all real complicated, but simple approaches that fit inside a sphere when Michael J. Fox was in his hey day, but she wouldn't have known that because she would've been like seven years old. I'm not saying she doesn't have a right to make the comparison, but it appears that her comparison is aimed at an older generation who would get the reference. That is a strange comparison when you're basically saying Reservation Dogs is going to be a Pop Culture Classic, but the culture you're referring to is a younger generation than the one that saw Goonies. My generation will hardly get all the references in the series, but we do. Terms like "Skoden and Doodis," are our terms of endearment to connect to the younger generation through being hip and "Swag," with our understanding of language. Maybe in my own experience, I feel like the connection between the generations is stronger in the Native community than any other community and so I am defiant or in defense of anyone attempting to understand our culture and the nuanced progression from ancient to cultural references made in this series. What I'm saying is that "We make it our own," always. You never really see an Indian Rapper that crosses over the genre line in music without taking his or her own blend current and ancient historical perspective. For instance the series has Funny Bone and Mike, as two wanna be gangster rap characters. The funny thing is that those two guys are real rappers and I'd guess you'd have to say, "and now add acting to their repertoire." The point is, you aren't going to be able to find two pint sized rapper characters for a series like this, so you might as well use the real thing. The spirit warrior, Dallas Goldtooth, is a YouTube character that became famous for a series of short sketches that he does with his fellow aspiring thespian group called the 1491's. "Zahn McClarnon only drives this point home: McClarnon is best known for playing inscrutable Indians on prestige series such as Westworld and Fargo, but here he gets to toy with that image." McClarnon was also on another Hulu series "The son," with Pierce Brosnan which really digs at the core of his acting, as a noble "Commanche Chief," that adopts the younger character of Brosnan as his own son. So to have McClarnon play "Big," the local non-chalent Tribal police officer is strictly a hilarious choice and sets the tone for the back-drop of where these kids live and what type of community attitude is common among everyone in this series. It really captures reservation, as a mindset. In this we see Big talk to the kids in the first episode about a missing truck. He departs the scene by asking about the where abouts of Bear's mom. He describes all of the possible illegal activity that the kids have been participating in, but what he's really concerned about is the "Super Natural," stuff he has also claimed to observe. Than they're in the junkyard where apparently the White folks in the village live. This is a place that the brusque Willie Jack (Paulina Alexis) refers to as, "Meth - Night of the Living Dead." The owner or privateer, we don't really know, is an older white gentleman that speaks in riddles about random knowledge like the fact that in Willow, the 98 children's feature film, the baby character was played by two babies that were swapped in an out of scenes, so not to become fatigued. He added this fact after learning Devery Jacob's character name was Elora. The tone of the series is set early on by the sheer nature surrounding a hijacked chips truck. The kids watch the delivery driver enter the local store than run to enter the truck. Bear say's to Elora, "seatbelt," which she angrily replies, "I'm stealing a truck!" Than we see the truck drive away with the delivery ramp being dragged in which it's metal that meets the pavement spark during the entire "Joy ride." Bear once again attempts to direct the heist by yelling, "Take a Left," and Elora replies, "I know my way around, this way is faster." Bear reminds her that the path she is on will take her by the police and she is shocked, but also committed to not changing direction. Now that I think about it, the Goonies comparison makes total sense because a police chase is how that movie starts in the same chaotic musical interlude back drop exactly. But from there two movies split into a different paradox of the Goonies, "having," to leave the Goon Docks and the Reservation Dogs, "wanting," to leave the reservation. That's why they're stealing the truck. This is highlighted by the aspiring rez rappers giving the group a name such as the Reservation Bandits, but later changing it to Reservation Dogs. Every good adventure story needs a protagonist and in this case they're are several. The kids themselves are protagonists, as well as the reservation or the circumstances it contributes. They make this reference toward their fallen comrad of heists that has been gone for a year. There is even a scene where they have their own one year memorial for their fallen brother. In the scene their all dressed in Black with suit jackets and ties just like the Reservoir dogs. Hence, maybe their name isn't just a play on words for the backdrop of the series, but sort of a nod towards an aspiring movie that influenced the producers. We see this playout throughout the episode. First in the exchange with the junkyard owner than again later, as they're selling chips that came from the stolen truck. They're able to enlist several terms of endearment or Rez lingo into the exchanges of banter. There is the case that Willie Jack say's "Tell your Friends," to her first customer in which the girl replies, "I don't have any," and she quickly dismisses her by saying, "Go get some then!" You kind of the get the idea right away that there isn't much adult supervision and children are sort of left to their own devices. We really see this in Bear's small video that he plays to his classmates during a show & tell scene in which his teacher say's "Okay Bear, I'm pretty sure that's illegal." That's the sort of under-tone I believe the producers are un-veiling in that they're not just pointing out that reservation's have their own laws, but how the citizens tend to interpret these circumstances as unique. We see that in the next episode where Elora has a stomach ache and she asks the "Medicine Man," at the table next to her if he has anything for stomachs. He's not really a medicine man, but he tells the kids to watch out for "Bad," medicine because there setup at the Indian Health Clinic to sell Elora's grandmother's meat pies. Willy Jack determines and than say's after listening to the conversation between Elora and the man set up next to them that "only the white man's medicine can help you now." I'm going to stop here to discuss it for a minute because there is the obvious comparison to the Goonies in which the terms, "Fair," and Illegal are not neccessarily interpreted as bad or good things, it's just life that these kids have accepted as something they cannot change. Maybe the feeling of hopelessness and poverty are present, but these characters don't appear to be phased by it. I'm going to go out on the limb here and connect that to the narrative in Reservoir Dogs where the same thing is happening. The activity is illegal and has mortal consequences, but each character is able to express their own interpretation about what is moral and ethical. It's what I mean when I mention that the characters are not phased by, "it," with the it being some illegal activity to survive. In this series that's the back drop of the activity. In my own personal experience it is important to point out that anyone who lives on the reservation would recognize it because it doesn't exist anywhere else. In our world on the reservation it, is literally reality. I don't think the producers meant to go that deep with their depiction of these characters because they're just kids doing things kids do, but I do see how this can be a popular series. We also see this same thing included in the mythic warrior or what reviewer calls, the unknown warrior. I'm confused by that phrasing because he tells us his name is Knifeman. Dallas Goldtooth sort of started the character as the noble savage that is nostalgic to every movie where a "Warrior," appears, but he quickly breaks character to show us that the warrior is just a regular guy. He does this by telling Bear of how he fought Custer at the Battle of Little Big Horn, but then he quickly confesses that he wasn't actually in the battle because he was crushed by his horse that stepped into a gopher hole. Than he goes back into character by asking Bear who is unconscious I might add because he got "Jumped," by a rival gang, "What will you fight for?" He said this after stating, "We gave everything for our people," and "I gave my life for the land." It's sort of that major message in a movie, but delivered in a humorous way. Although most of the activity is humorous, it's serious stuff. True to the nature of Indians. That say's a lot coming from an Indian person such as myself because we say everything through a lens of skeptism. If you don't believe me just go try to tell some old Indian some cliche story you heard about Indians and they'll set you straight. It's something only an Indian could know and recognize. Not like the Goonies at all! The reviewer calls it identity. I wouldn't say that. Identity is something you are. All this shrub around the flowering plant which is the Modern Indian, is circumstances. That's something only an Indian would know to. We are defiant to not let our circumstances define our reality. I know I've gotten off-track and I'm stating some real personal opinions opposed to discussing the series, but it's why I think a good review would be better written by an Indian. So it's why I decided to write my own. I've mentioned Bear, ELora and Willie Jack, but I haven't said much about Cheese. Lane Factor plays Cheese. Shirley Li calls him "sweet," Cheese, but that's I imagine because of his timid demeanor. On a real rez "Cheese," would be referred to as "Soft," and that's not a term of endearment. To be soft is to be weak. We see this in the Indian Clinic where Cheese is taken in by a bowl of chocolate. He's attempting to swipe some chocolate from a bowl on the reception desk in the Optometrist office. He's caught by the receptionist, but instead of issuing a stern warning or punishment, she makes him take the eye test and then makes an appointment for him to see the doctor. Cheese get's his eyes dilated and has to wear flimsy plastic glasses until his eyes return to normal. We see Cheese "duped," throughout two episodes. In the first episode, Cheese it told to guard the chips, as Bear and the others go to make a deal for the stolen truck with the junk yard owner. He introduces himself by saying, "My name is Cheese, my pronouns are He, Him and His." This is a good time to really reflect that they we're able to make that dialog part of the script and it fit right into the series. It made you realize this isn't a story from long time ago. This is now! The guy Cheese was talking to replied, "I'm Native American," which was clearly not the case, but he communicated his preference. Later, Cheese get's shot in the forehead with a paintball gun which he proudly doesn't rub off the yellow paint. The guy in the Diner tells him, "Mustard gun huh!" Cheese's character is solidified not only by being taken in by chocolate and getting his eyes dilated and being shot in the forehead with a yellow paintball, but he's taken in by an elder at the Indian Clinic. The Elderly lady in the clinic calls Cheese, "Grandson." He plays along because he's mentioned that he lives with his uncle and not with his grandmother or his mom, but we don't know if she really is his grandmother which isn't strange at all on a reservation because Indians don't define themselves by circumstances, but what they "Choose," to recognize. Cheese takes the lady outside of the clinic in a wheel chair and sits with her on the sidewalk outside looking at the late afternoon sky. Bear say's to him, "What are you doing?" and Cheese answers, "It's my grandma." Like I said, we don't know if it is his grandma because Indians adopt Grannies all the time. Elders adopt grandchildren and parents adopt children. The final scene we see two rival gangs about to fight outside of the Indian Clinic. I save this part for last because I'm not sure what the producer, writer and director are doing with the "Rival," theme. The reservation dogs are clearly not a gang. They're just friends or maybe even cousins. The aspiring rappers do say that the rival gang are cousins and then they go on to describe where they used to live and where they live now. It's almost as if the whole scenario is an imaginative "turf battle," that the rappers made up because they're sort of instigating the whole thing which is true to the young native perspective. Like the kids want to rob people and get enough money to go to California. The dream of the reservation life is always to leave the reservation, but the crazy thing is that Indians who realize their dream do nothing, but long for home once they leave. It's the opposite of the Goonies. All the goonies want to do is stay, but thier circumstances say they have to go. This contradiction is the real protoganist throughout the entire series. Like Bear believes he's the leader of his friends. He doesn't start calling the group a gang until other people start calling it a gang. He even does things to make himself appear stronger. He say's, "I got some Good one's in," after being jumped, but he got hit once and went down. This is the whole "I feel like the series is plugged into the generation of youth now," characteristic. Now I'm going to say something and I'm sure it's going make me sound like an old, out of touch, old man. Kids today don't care about really being anything. They care that you believe whatever it is they are portraying themselves as. If you don't believe me just take the word, "Influencer," as a prime example. We all know what an "Influencer," is, but I'm not sure this generation knows the background of the term. Like I said, they don't care if it's true, they just care if you believe it about them. "Influencer," is a marketing tool that software corporations of Big technology came up with to promote to the youth about their status among their peers. If your an influencer, you've got a hundred thousand followers on You Tube or Instagram. What it means is that your internet famous. Now the series doesn't deal with this directly, but it's backdrop which I thoroughly described and the jargon the kids are speaking, just about every reference or frame of conversation is based in millenial concept. What I'm saying is they wrote this series to capture an audience of a certain age, but added just enough reference to other things that other generations will get Like making Bobby Lee the IHS Doctor that does everything. It might be way, "Out in Left Field," to point it out, but just how you got the reference I just used, is the same technique I am describing here. Maybe what I am saying is there is no more fertile ground that a poverty stricken reservation or reference to it's culture than the one depicted in this series. It's not cultural appropriation, so you don't have to worry that it's where I was going with my critique here. If anything, it's inclusion and unity. That is what the "I'm guessing," from her name, Li that the reviewer was referring to as Identity. See us Indians, were probably the most observant people. We notice everything and I noticed that the reviewer was young, understood popculture references, but didn't have a,"Moose Stew," idea about the Indian experience, so she missed many things that we're "Easter Eggs," for us Indians. By the way, an easter egg is a secret prize or idea inside of a video game, so I know I am "Up," on my pop cultural references. This was my critique of the reviewers critique. If you sensed a little sarcasm in the last couple sentences towards the reviewer, it is because it's intentional. That's the thing about being Indian is that no one gets a pass when it comes to us, we notice everything. In this case that lady wrote a fine review. I just don't think she did it justice by our standards and she couldn't do it justice because she's not Indian. I see other reviews coming out and I'll say the same thing about them. The truth is we don't know exactly where this series will lead, but I guarantee you this every special interest group will come out of the woodwork to try to convince you that the Indian experience, is their personal experience just about as much as every white person claims their grandma was a Cherokee princess. I don't know why they do this. All I know is that they misconstrue identity everytime because if they were Indian they'd know just how exact we can be when it comes to representing history as true and being able to trace all your ancestral lineage back to Time and Immemorial. I don't want to go off on a tangent about how Indians are purposely divided by a thing called "Blood Quantum," that's basically a termination policy because no other race in history is asked to prove their identity. In this series, it's a purposeful act that no specific Tribe is named other than the time the junk yard owner mentions it. That's on purpose and done by a caucasian person to drive home the point that the producers are making this series specific for the Indian experience. You won't get that or even notice it when you're not Indian and any review of this series will not mention it because they can't if they aren't aware of it just like the guy that tells Cheese he's a Native American. We live and understand these things because it's our experience that people claim as their own. We know when it's happening and that is another reason why I wrote this review to be critical of anyone who will come forward to try to interpret what is happening on screen. There is no way to describe it other than recognizing that's our experience up there. The authentic human being knows it and recognizes it right away and if you aren't plugged into this series, I suggest you get yourself in front of it asap because this might be an indication of real "breakthrough," in representation. That cannot happen when one isolates that a writer with the experience or a director or producer with the same experience represents it. It happens when the audience embraces it because this series is written for us. The reservation dogs are us. That's our lives up there making people laugh. Including us if not the authentic Indian then who is this series for because the larger audience will not get these characters like we do. They won't understand that the jokes are serious, but Indians use Humor & laughter just like medicine. Tell a Joke and laugh, it won't give you a migraine. Eat a bunch of Flaming Hot Chips and you'll end up at the doctor. I have to talk about the Indian Health Clinic now. There is no accident that they wrote those scenes, so that us Indians will approve of this series and give it the stamp of authenticity. It's just like when the junk yard owner say's the words, "It's a Ron Howard joint." It makes no sense because that's a SPike Lee reference. Ron Howard is HAppy Days. It's like Harjo is taking specific aim at all other producers, but no one will get that but Indians. So the Lady at the receptionist position of the IHS is typical no matter where you go or what Tribe you are a part of. I don't know where they get these ladies, but she's kind of the typical "Aunty," that's not impressed by anything. This is another pop cultural reference that just became real popular. She delivers the punch lines like veteran in war. She shows no remorse about her behavior and that is the "Strong Modern Indian woman," we all know that is at the front desk of the I.H.S. Even the fact that Bear's Mom works there is typical Indian. Hey, guess where my mom worked for thirty years? At the I.H.S. with my aunt and all my other cousins. The Indian experience is centered on family and relations. No matter if near or far, it's why Willie Jack told the girl without friends, "Go get some then, phuck!" You will never find sympathy among Indian people, we don't allow it. Especially if you're a fellow Indian. I know that in just about every Indian language that we have special words for "Pity," and "Shameful," If you never heard an old Indian Lady use these words than you have never been in front of an old Indian Lady. All that nostalgic illusion of spiritual "oneness," goes write out the window when your around true Indians. Oh sure, we'll put on a good song and dance in front of others, but real Indians don't let you get away with any kind of that behavior. This series takes a, "Shot across the bow," at stereo typical Hollywood Indian portrayal, but if you're not "woke," you won't get that. I have to take a break from talking about Reservation Dogs to tell you my own story. I said the word, "woke," and it's sort of an appropriation of African American culture. When you look at the parrallel between the two cultures, it's almost the same that's why we call them our brothers and sisters. I was in this Mexican Resturaunt. There was this White lady talking really loud at the table next to us. You have to understand, I have long braided hair and my son has long braided hair. I don't know how many times we've had to stop people from walking up to us and touching our hair. It's a Indian thing, we don't like strangers touching us. How would you feel if a stranger walked up to you and touched you without your permission? We'll, if your "Woke," you'd know that. So this lady is sitting there talking really loud like she doesn't get out much and you can tell she's elated because she's never seen a real Indian before. I always feel kind of funny around people like that because I can tell that they're about to say or do something real in-appropriate and this lady didn't disappoint. Instead of touching our hair, I mean she was sitting at another table right, she say's real loud, "Do you think their angry because of that pipeline?" My whole family just busted out laughing. Man, I mean we couldn't hold it in. One by one my boys excused themselves to leave the table and I was last. I was really trying to figure out how can I slip by without this lady noticing? I finally did get by her though and just to be a real weirdo, I went up to the hostess and I convinced her to let me pay for the ladies meal. See in Indian World, we believe in balance even in a weird situation like that. I didn't want that lady to feel bad about my family laughing at her, so I tried to make it right. Laughter is a medicine and she "Doctored," us all up right there, so I forgave her and gifted her the meal that night. Things happen like that all the time. No one ever acknowledges it though and that is what this series represents. It's a series written by Indians, for Indians with Indians acting in it. If the greater public likes it, maybe more series like this will come out and the healing will begin. If not, it's no big deal because we survived this long without any help from anyone.