We admit it, we’ve been falling hard for Rutherford Falls. Created by Navajo and Mexican American Sierra Teller Ornelas, it’s rare to have a show that centers the modern Indigenous experience. It also happens to be funny, witty, and full of great performances. But honestly, who cares what we think? The real experts here are Indigenous women. So in a break from our traditional, What Latinas Have to Say, we’ve rounded up Native journalists covering the show:
A New Sitcom Tells “the Greatest Story Never Told”
Cherokee Nation writer, Shea Vassar has been all over the Rutherford Falls beat, covering the show for Roger Ebert, talking about it on NPR, and collecting Native journalists’ work on the show. We love this piece of hers in Slate (one of two there!) where she declares, “A show like this one, with more than one multilayered Native character and a rich commentary on the modern Indigenous experience, could only be created by a bunch of Native creatives collaborating. I hope not only that audiences take the time to chuckle at the carefully curated jokes that had me belting out huge belly laughs, but also that anyone who watches the series will stop to think about the deeper conversation hidden beneath the surface.” Read the whole piece.
Rutherford Falls Provides Authentic Representation of Native Life
Osage-Muscogee Creek-Seminole writer Noetta Harjo reviews Rutherford Falls for Geek Girl Authority, as part of her #IndigenerdWire. She writes, “Rutherford Falls is a gem. [It] highlights a new side of Indigenous people that we don’t see at all. The funny side,” later explaining, “The Indigenous cast brings familiarity for Indigenous viewers. Look for familiar community events, attitudes and slang. (Yes. They use the word ‘snag’!) I like how the show doesn’t try to explain the humor or the lingo that the Native characters use. They insert the humor as if viewers will recognize it and it’s an everyday thing in everyone’s lives. Like it is for me and other Indigenous viewers.” Read her full review.
Rutherford Falls Presents New Indigenous Narratives for American Sitcoms
Monica Whitepigeon on the Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation covers the show for Native News Online. She notes, “As the series progresses, it delves further into the funny quirks and frustrating pitfalls of navigating within Native and non-Native communities. With a premise that is all about relationships, the show presents a myriad of Indigenous experiences in different scenarios so characters can have onscreen debates and hilarious interactions.” Read her full coverage.
