Acclaimed FX comedy ‘Reservation Dogs’ and ‘True Detective: Night Country’ were among the Native American stories honored in the 2024 Emmy nominations.
After a wave of Native stories earned acclaim from critics and adulation from fans in recent years, the TV academy joined the chorus with Wednesday’s Emmy nominations.
“Reservation Dogs,” an FX series about the lives of four Native American teenagers on an Oklahoma reservation, received its first-ever nomination in the comedy series category for its third and final season, which concluded last September. Created by Sterlin Harjo (a member of the Seminole nation with Muscogee ancestry) and Taika Waititi (Maori on his father’s side), the series distinguished itself not only with its cast of Indigenous actors, but also by featuring Indigenous writers, directors and crew members.
Among them, D’Pharaoh Woon-A-Tai nabbed a nomination for lead actor in a comedy series. The Oji-Cree First Nations and Guyanese actor played Bear Smallhill, the friend group’s leader of sorts. “Reservation Dogs” also earned nominations for cinematography and editing; previously the series had been nominated only once, for sound editing.
“Mvto from our whole team!” said Harjo in an Instagram Story shortly after the nominations were announced.
