Five years ago, Canadian actor DB次元官网网址橮haraoh Woon-A-Tai never wouldB次元官网网址檝e expected to see a series like B次元官网网址淩eservation DogsB次元官网网址� south of the border.

But with it and several other Indigenous-led projects finally getting bigger platforms in the United States, change is afoot when it comes to such mainstream Hollywood representation, he says.

The 19-year-old, who grew up in Toronto and is of Oji-Cree, Anishinaabe and Guyanese descent, stars in the buzzy half-hour FX comedy as one of four Indigenous teens in rural Oklahoma mourning the death of a friend and resorting to petty crime to fund a getaway to California.

An Indigenous team including Oscar-winning B次元官网网址淛ojo RabbitB次元官网网址� filmmaker Taika Waititi and writer-producer Sterlin Harjo created the show, which debuts Wednesday on the Star section of Disney Plus in Canada. It premiered on Hulu in the United States in early August.

Oscar-winning filmmaker Barry Jenkins and Emmy-nominated actor-screenwriter Mindy Kaling are among those whoB次元官网网址檝e tweeted raves about the series, in which every writer, director and main cast member is Indigenous.

B次元官网网址淔ive years ago this would be not even rare B次元官网网址� itB次元官网网址檇 be impossible,B次元官网网址� Woon-A-Tai said in a recent phone interview.

B次元官网网址淏ut now I think thatB次元官网网址檚 B次元官网网址� definitely going to change.B次元官网网址�

Woon-A-Tai noted the series comes a few months after the Peacock streaming service debuted B次元官网网址淩utherford Falls,B次元官网网址� which touts the largest Indigenous writing staff for an American TV show and stars another Toronto-based actor, Plains Cree performer Michael Greyeyes.

Then thereB次元官网网址檚 HarjoB次元官网网址檚 upcoming Indigenous basketball film for Netflix, B次元官网网址淩ez Ball,B次元官网网址� which he co-wrote with Navajo filmmaker Sydney Freeland, who is directing.

With so many Indigenous projects coming out, the word B次元官网网址渞areB次元官网网址� wonB次元官网网址檛 be attached to such shows in the future, Woon-A-Tai said.

B次元官网网址淚 feel like thatB次元官网网址檚 going to be the normal thing, eventually. IB次元官网网址檓 so happy and proud to be a part of one of the first few projects to start that.B次元官网网址�

Of course, such representation isnB次元官网网址檛 new in Canada, where the Aboriginal Peoples Television Network has given a major national platform to Indigenous-led series for many years. Examples include B次元官网网址淢occasin Flats,B次元官网网址� which also aired on Showcase Television, and B次元官网网址淢ohawk Girls,B次元官网网址� which also aired on the CBC.

As it turns out, several actors from this side of the border are also in B次元官网网址淩eservation Dogs,B次元官网网址� which was filmed and set in Okmulgee, Okla., and features characters of Muscogee Creek and Seminole Creek heritage.

Other homegrown performers include Devery Jacobs and Paulina Alexis, who co-star as two members of the friend group; Sarah Podemski, who plays the mother to Woon-A-TaiB次元官网网址檚 character; and Gary Farmer, who plays Uncle Brownie.

Woon-A-Tai plays Bear Smallhill, whose conscience weighs on him as he and his friends get up to mischief. Lane Factor plays the other member of the friend group.

B次元官网网址淲hen I first met Taika and Sterlin at the audition, at the end of the audition they told me that if Taika and Sterlin had a kid, I would be that kid,B次元官网网址� Woon-A-Tai said with a laugh.

Harjo, who is a member of the Seminole Nation and has Muskogee heritage, used his own upbringing in Oklahoma as inspiration for the story.

Woon-A-Tai said every main character is based on someone from the childhood of either Harjo or Waititi, who is of M膩ori descent. FarmerB次元官网网址檚 character, for instance, is inspired by HarjoB次元官网网址檚 dad, and the late friend was based on someone Harjo knew. But the creators also took inspiration from the actors, adjusting the scripts the more they got to know them.

B次元官网网址淓verything you see inside that show, which may seem ridiculous, itB次元官网网址檚 probably true, it probably happened,B次元官网网址� said Woon-A-Tai, whose motherB次元官网网址檚 family descends from Guyana, while his fatherB次元官网网址檚 family hails from the isolated Big Trout Lake reserve in northwestern Ontario.

This is Woon-A-TaiB次元官网网址檚 biggest TV role to date, after smaller parts on series including the CBCB次元官网网址檚 B次元官网网址淢urdoch MysteriesB次元官网网址� and APTNB次元官网网址檚 B次元官网网址淭ribal.B次元官网网址� He was also in Tracey DeerB次元官网网址檚 acclaimed 2020 Canadian film B次元官网网址淏eans,B次元官网网址� which also starred Alexis.

He said heB次元官网网址檚 glad his first foray into comedy is this project, considering B次元官网网址淚ndigenous communities are just so funny.B次元官网网址�

B次元官网网址淵ou may hear that, but itB次元官网网址檚 very true. We tackle a lot of issues with comedy,B次元官网网址� he said. B次元官网网址淎 lot of times when you speak to elders in traditional language, theyB次元官网网址檒l always be cracking jokes.B次元官网网址�

Woon-A-Tai said he prepared for the role by learning Muscogee Creek words and traditions, and digging into the history of Oklahoma and its Indigenous communities, learning about tragedies including the genocidal forced displacement of tribes known as the Trail of Tears in the 1800s.

Overall, the series B次元官网网址済ives people a chance to tear down misconceptions with Indigenous folksB次元官网网址� and is B次元官网网址渘ormalizingB次元官网网址� Indigenous life, said Woon-A-Tai.

B次元官网网址淚B次元官网网址檓 very honoured just to be a part of this project,B次元官网网址� he said. B次元官网网址淭he fact that I get to represent a Nation that IB次元官网网址檓 thousands of miles away from B次元官网网址� talking to locals, doing it accurately B次元官网网址� thatB次元官网网址檚 what the really important part was for me, because yes, we are all native but we come from very different diverse communities that have different traditions.B次元官网网址�

Victoria Ahearn, The Canadian Press