In celebration of Native American Heritage Month, and on the heels of the critically acclaimed series finale of FX’s award-winning series Reservation Dogs, Hulu has engaged Anishinaabe artist Blake Angeconeb to create artwork embodying the spirit of the show, which can be seen in a variety of placements throughout the month.
- FX’s Reservation Dogs is a breakthrough in Indigenous representation: every writer and director is Indigenous, as well as the show’s stars, and the majority of the cast.
- Blake’s moving piece will be on display as a one-of-a-kind mural painting from November 6 – December 4 at the First Americans Museum in Oklahoma City, fitting for the first scripted television series to film in Oklahoma.
- Fans will also be able to see his artwork on Hulu’s social channels, as well as in limited edition “wild postings” in Los Angeles and Seattle, where fans can tear-away commemorative copies to take home for themselves.
- See the full mural below:
- There are several Easter Eggs from the show woven in as well:
- Season 1 + 2: Owl with blurred eyes. In many Native American cultures an owl is seen as a harbinger of death.
- Season 1, Episode 4: The beaded pickle medallion was suggested as a gift by Auntie B for Bear to give to his father.
- Season 2, Episode 6: Native influencer Miss M8triarch honors the “Dinosaur Oyate” during her Land Acknowledgement. “Oyate” is the traditional Dakota word meaning “people” or “nation.”
- Season 3, Episode 6: Bigfoot has made an appearance in each season – most recently with his family.
- Mailbox/1491 street address from Rita & Bear’s house. The “1491s” were a comedy troupe that Co-Creator/Executive Producer/Showrunner/Writer/Director Sterlin Harjo formed with Dallas Goldtooth (“Spirit”), Ryan RedCorn, Migizi Pensoneau & Bobby Wilson in Oklahoma. All of whom were also writers for the show.
- Reference to the Deer Lady. She has made an appearance in each season – most recently in Season 3, Episode 3.
- In addition to all three seasons of Reservation Dogs, Hulu’s robust library is also home to a variety of titles celebrating Native American stories and storytellers including Prey, Wildhood, Beans, Our America: Reclaiming Turtle Island, Life Below Zero: First Alaskans, and more.
What they’re saying:
- Artist Blake Angeconeb: “This mural is meant to acknowledge the journey that the main characters went on over the show’s three seasons, and all the youth they've inspired across Turtle Island. It is done in my traditional Anishinaabe woodlands art style, which is used to tell stories, but with a contemporary twist. The four main friends are depicted as Thunderbirds, often considered the most powerful entities, representing strength and protection, with their friend Daniel watching over them. I named my piece ‘Young Warriorz’ because I wanted to honor how groundbreaking Reservation Dogs was for Indigenous representation, and how important it was for me personally to see my community and culture portrayed on screen.”