Growing up in California, I saw the world in two languages: English and Español.
27.09.2023 - 22:45 / cntraveler.com / Graham Greene
TV viewers have reveled in the world of Reservation Dogs since the revolutionary FX show debuted in 2021. With an almost entirely Indigenous team both behind and in front of the camera, the dark comedy offers a rare authentic look at modern Native American life. It revolves around the lives of four teenagers growing up on a fictional Indian reservation in Oklahoma as they confront the many complicated issues facing tribal communities, from Indigeneity to intergenerational trauma to high rates of poverty and suicide. And yet, so much joy and humor surges throughout the series.
Paulina Alexis as Willie Jack, Devery Jacobs as Elora Danan, D’Pharaoh Woon-A-Tai as Bear, Lane Factor as Cheese, and Elva Guerra as Jackie in Reservation Dogs.
For creators Sterlin Harjo and Taika Waititi, it was crucial that the show’s settings were as nuanced as its storylines to paint an honest picture. That’s where production designer Brandon Tonner-Connolly and set decorator Tafv Sampson (granddaughter of late Muscogee Nation actor/activist Will Sampson) were instrumental, crafting beautifully layered backdrops that are characters in their own right.
As the third and final season of the groundbreaking TV series airs this fall, this dynamic duo reflects upon showcasing the rich scenery across Oklahoma, getting it right for the Native community, leaving and returning home—and overcoming an electrical fire that almost derailed production.
Jacobs, Alexis, and Zahn McLarnon as Big in Reservation Dogs.
In season three, we stray from the reservation town of Okern. Why was it important to incorporate other locations, like Oklahoma’s salt plains?
Brandon Tonner-Connolly: Having left the four main characters in Los Angeles at the end of season two, it really provided the opportunity to expand their world beyond the bubble of Okern and show their journey home. There was also a sense of estrangement, especially with “Maximus” [starring Graham Greene], which sets up his story and the trauma he experienced that forced him to go off on his own. With the salt flats, it was a nice opportunity to give the show this epic scale.
Tafv Sampson: For seasons one and two, we were really introducing the Native community to the world, so we wanted to keep things at home since that’s where our community thrives. But by season three, we’d gained the trust of the audience and they were down for the ride with us. Knowing it might be the last season, we really wanted to push the envelope, but knew we would always come back home to Okern.
One episode of the third and final season recreates an oppressive Indian boarding school.
How did you recreate an oppressive Indian boarding school for season 3’s “Deer Lady,” one of the most poignant episodes of the
Growing up in California, I saw the world in two languages: English and Español.
Since January, I've spent dozens of hours leapfrogging across the Pacific Ocean on three roundtrip flights between the US and Asia.
On Aug. 6, my wife, my two children and I arrived at the Brooklyn Cruise Terminal to board the MSC Meraviglia for a weeklong cruise that included a stop in the Bahamas. I am a scientist in the United States on a work visa and awaiting my green card, so I followed my lawyer’s instructions and presented my Chinese passport and my “combo card” — an American document that grants immigrants in my situation permission both to work in the United States and to travel abroad. But MSC Cruises refused to let me board, saying the card did not guarantee I would be readmitted to the country when the boat returned to Brooklyn. I soon met two other would-be travelers in the same, er, boat: Fadia, a 79-year-old Egyptian grandmother set to board with 19 relatives and friends, and Nargis, a Bangladeshi woman ready to cruise with her husband. After hours of pleading our case, even getting Fadia’s immigration lawyer to speak to staff by phone, we were all sent home. MSC refunded me about $500 in fees and taxes, but I’m still owed about $2,300 for the cruise fare for my family of four. Nargis and her husband have also not been reimbursed, nor have Fadia and her son (who stayed behind with her while the rest of the group sailed). Can you help?
A British Airways flight was forced to make a U-turn when it was minutes away from landing at Tel Aviv's Ben Gurion Airport on Wednesday.
When I fly to Asia from the US, I try to choose flights that get me to my destination in the morning so I can power through the day and get over the jet lag quickly.
United Airlines passengers en route from San Francisco to Tel Aviv endured a 14-hour "flight to nowhere" after the Palestinian militant group Hamas launched a surprise attack on Israel on Saturday.
A traveler had her hopes of making a necklace out of giraffe poop dashed when she tried to bring the animal feces into the United States from Kenya but was stopped by customs agents, officials said.
The world of The Creator feels familiar and alien at the same time. The film brings viewers to a near-future where artificial intelligence exists alongside humans as both working robots and humanoid simulants. The US government seeks to eradicate all non-humans after a nuclear explosion devastates Los Angeles, hunting them down with a space station defense system called NOMAD. As the story unfolds, the audience follows Sergeant Joshua Taylor (John David Washington) as he searches for the creator of the AI, the mysterious Nirmata, and ends up on the run with a young simulant named Alphie (Madeleine Yuna Voyles), who may be the key to stopping the war.
I was concerned when my friend, who doesn't drive, told me she was visiting Los Angeles.
With its proximity to the United States, an abundance of affordable cities and its appealing lifestyle (rich culture, an increasingly exciting food scene), it’s no wonder Mexico has one of the largest expat populations in the world. More than 1.6 million American citizens living in Mexico—and the numbers have been surging.
A Canadian man has sparked strong reactions from non-Americans on TikTok after he shared a video recapping a Europe trip that did not live up to expectations. Several angry initial commenters mistakenly assumed he was American, with one top commenter hurling "f america" in response.
A passenger on an American Airlines flight claims he was met by police on arrival in Los Angeles after a flight attendant highlighted concerns about the wellbeing of his children and suggested that they may not have been his.