#23 - Exploring Indigenous Representation, Ownership, and Authenticity on ‘The Wilds’ and ‘Reservation Dogs’ with the Hosts of ‘Out In The Wilds’

Leftist Teen Drama

It’s a CROSSOVER EPISODE! Maria is joined by Aly and Rachel, the brilliant hosts of the Out in The Wilds podcast, for a wide-ranging discussion on Indigenous representation, ownership, and authenticity on both THE WILDS (2020-2022) and RESERVATION DOGS (2021-2023). At their core, both these shows are about solidarity and the power of community. We discuss everything from Indigenous ways of storytelling and authentic representations of rez life to the Landback movement and how land acknowledgments have been co-opted in many “progressive” settings. Placing these revolutionary shows within the largely non-Indigenous TV landscape, we analyze and celebrate all the spirit guides, subtle cultural references, and sassy quips about colonizers. More please.

For this episode, we recommend you first watch or have familiarity with THE WILDS Seasons 1-2, streaming on Prime Video, and RESERVATION DOGS Seasons 1-3, streaming on Hulu.

FOLLOW US ON SOCIAL | instagram, tumblr, tiktok: @leftistteendrama | twitter: @leftyteendrama | website: leftistteendrama.com

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ABOUT US:

MARIA DIPASQUALE (she/her; host/editor) is a Brooklyn-based union communicator and writer who watches too much TV. She splits her free time between devouring teen dramas, creating this podcast, and writing and reading fanfiction. Follow Maria on Twitter @Maria_DiP26, IG @mdzip, and tiktok @marialovesunions.

ALY (she/her; guest) and RACHEL (she/they; guest) are married-to-each-other lesbians who cohosted a podcast about The Wilds, which often explored the show's Indigenous and queer themes (Out in the Wilds). They both love coming-of-age dramas and talking (maybe too much) about rich characters. Aly is an Indigenous woman, youth worker, and avid reader who loves to shout about representation. Rachel is a white settler woman who spends their spare time drinking coffee and counting down the days until softball season. You can connect with them @thewildspodcast on twitter or @outinthewildspodcast on instagram.

JEFF MCHALE (he/him; producer) is an extremely online guy who plays games, streams sometimes, and loves talking old TV.

CHARLES S. O’LEARY (they/them; art) is a “writer,” “designer,” and “content strategist” based in Brooklyn, NY. A survivor of the 2010s Tumblr wars, leftist media criticism is all they know. To learn about them professionally, visit charles-oleary.biz. To learn about them personally, visit their Instagram at @c.s.0.l.

Maria and Jeff’s good union cats CLARENCE and VINNY may make an appearance and/or be mentioned.

intro song: Stomping the Room by Delicate Beats

All opinions shared on this show are that of individuals and do not represent the views of any organization we may be affiliated with.

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SOURCES DISCUSSED IN THE EPISODE:

• The spelling of the fictional Native influencer on Reservation Dogs: MissM8tri@rch
• Beautiful Tumblr parallel gifset of Mabel in ‘Reservation Dogs’ during golden hour by Fairweathermyth
• Popsugar, May 26, 2022 by Victoria Messina, Jenna Clause on Bringing Authentic Indigenous Representation to "The Wilds"
• The Denizen, April 30, 2021, Meet actor Erana James, the Kiwi rising star making her mark on global screens
• The Atlantic, August 1, 2022 by David Treuer, REZ LIFE
• Variety, August 9, 2023 by Michael Schneider, ‘Reservation Dogs’ Uses 1970s Horror Motifs to Tell the Cruel History of Native Boarding Schools
• Screenrant, August 4, 2023 by Tiffany Beverley,
• What Tribe Do Reservation Dogs’ Characters Belong To? Real Inspirations Explained.
• Variety, October 11, 2021, by Crystal Echo Hawk, Indigenous Representation Is Still Scarce in Hollywood: ‘We Need More Native Stories’ (Guest Column)
• W Magazine, July 31, 2023 by Maxine Wally, Paulina Alexis Isn’t Ready to Say Goodbye to Willie Jack
• Smoke Signals (film)
• The Lone Ranger and Tonto Fistfight in Heaven by Sherman Alexie
• Love Medicine by Louise Erdrich
• Landback
• Jacobin, February 10, 2022, REI Wants You to Know They Are Busting a Union on Indigenous Land, by Alex Press
• The Quietly Radical New Amazon Show About Stranded Teens by Rebecca Long, Slate, May 16, 2022