Reservation Dogs is one of the winners of the 2022 Peabody Awards.
Ethan Hawke presented the award to FX’s Indigenous-centric comedy, co-created by Taika Waititi and Sterlin Harjo, in the below video, calling Reservation Dogs a “brilliant coming-of-age series [that] is unlike anything we’ve ever seen.”
The show, which features all-Indigenous writers, directors and series regulars, follows four Native American teenagers in rural Oklahoma as they steal, rob and save to get to California.
Both Hawke, and the Peabody Awards, in its official blurb announcing Reservation Dogs‘ win, said the show, which premiered last summer, is “long overdue.”
“With its completely bizarre and droll sense of humor and its breakout young cast, this show takes us on a welcome surreal journey that vividly captures a defiant joy,” Hawke said, highlighting the series’ “heartfelt portrayal of being young and native in modern America.”
In his pre-recorded video acceptance speech, Harjo spoke about the importance of expressing authentic experiences.
“Just to be able to tell these stories and share our lives through Reservation Dogs, I think that’s where the magic comes from because they’re real stories and they’re about real people and FX gave us the freedom to do that so really thankful for that,” Harjo said.
The win, he added, encourages him to “keep creating and support other artists of underrepresented communities to keep telling their stories because it’s important.”
“It’s important to have people tell their own stories. The proof is here,” he said. “Whenever you let people tell their stories, it shows and the quality of the work is better. No one’s asking for a handout, just an opportunity to tell our stories.”
Harjo also thanked the show’s cast, producers, crew and FX executives for their support.
“There are so many people that put their hearts and souls in this story,” he said.
