Seeing the light on the Reservation

 

A figure walks down from a dark hallway, lit only by the natural sunlight emerging the room of a dying grandmother. The white noise of flowing conversation grows louder as the silhouette steps into the light, revealing Elora Danan Postoak. The camera pans away from her melancholic face towards the ones gathering for the pre-mortem wake. Old friends shake hands while the matriarchs pound dough and the little ones chase after one another throughout the house. Everyone is auntie, brother, uncle, cousin, and sister regardless of blood. What is ordinarily an empty house, is now a home full of love. The camera pans back to Elora just as she is scanning the crowd. She then picks up her chair and joins the room. In this very scene, we see a whole group of natives come together in their time of despair, akin to Elora’s, as her grandmother is her last living relative.

 

This is one of many examples in Reservation Dogs that relate to community, loss, and growing up within Native American culture. We will discuss these themes through examples from throughout the seasons and details that accurately reflect Native American culture. These themes are depicted across the three generations represented in the show, as a select few characters die, leaving the others to cope with the grief.

 

The first example of this is the case of Daniel. Throughout the first two seasons, the Rez Dogs grapple with the anguishing fact that their best friend took his own life without regard to how he left them behind. We see multiple moments in which someone is either grieving or remembering Daniel. In season 1, episode 6, “Hunting,” Willie Jack, and Leon reminisce about their old hunting trips with him. In season 2, episode 3, “Roofing,” Daniel’s father and the main character, Bear, have a heart-to-heart about their mistakes and traditional Native teachings before seeing what they suspect is Daniel’s spirit orb. Scenes like this build up until the finale of season 2, “I Still Believe,” where the group takes one final step to let go of their heartache. The scene opens on the beach with Cheese finishing his prayer: “We’ll remember you for all the good things we’ve done together.” The waves crash onto the shore while they all stand side by side. Tears are visible on all their faces as they walk toward the sea. A melody and a hum play as they scream at the cold water. They embrace again as Daniel’s spirit appears in the group hug. One by one, they all look at him with warm smiles. In that moment, they have no car, no food, and no money—but what matters is that they did this for him.

 

A similar scene occurs with the generation that came before the dogs in Reservation Dogs Season 2, Episode 7. Rita, Bear’s mother, begins to see the spirit of Cookie, Elora’s mother. Inspired by her son, Rita finds a way to say goodbye to Cookie as well. She gathers her sisters and a memento in the form of Cookie’s mixtape from their childhood, then heads down to the lake. After saying a few words in her honor, they toss the tape into the lake, bidding "Aho" to their late friend, hopefully believing they will see her "in the next life."

 

Next, we move beyond the generations to focus on the period of early colonization, where the story of the Deer Lady in Season 3, Episode 3 takes center stage. The Deer Lady is a Native American legend said to be a woman with hooves, created to punish bad men. In this depiction, she is originally a native girl who grew up during the early period of colonization. She is taken from her village and placed in a Christian boarding school with other native children. There, she connects with a boy who helps her navigate her terrifying new surroundings. One night, this boy is killed by the man who kidnapped the native children—the same man who is described as a "human wolf." That is also the night she transforms into the Deer Lady. In the present day, the Deer Lady comes for the man in his old age. The scene is emotionally charged as the Deer Lady stabs him, tears streaming down her face.

Reflection on these scenes reveals an ongoing theme of death and healing, where the generations are letting go of their pain while still keeping the memories alive with the help of those around them. The repetition of similar themes across different generations reinforces the idea that death is a universal experience that everyone must face—whether it is their own or that of a loved one. The fact that an ancient being can experience these same emotions through a different outlet further emphasizes that death is an inseparable part of life. But throughout this pain is a greater emotion-love.

The series finale, Dig, ends much like the scene at the beginning of this essay. It is the funeral of the

medicine man and the community come together in the face of yet another loss. They dig his grave and crack jokes about not bringing enough shovels; they cook greasy fry bread and reminisce with nostalgia. They say goodbye as they lay him to rest. It is another day full of sorrow and hope. And then, life goes on. Elora moves out of Okern to attend college, Rita moves to another state for a job, Cheese stays with his grandma while finishing high school, and Bear takes a year off to find himself in his hometown.

[Blog Producer & Social Media Manager: Corey Landa, Photo Editor: Than Cheng, Scribe: Lucien Zuniga, Writer: Denise Epsinola]