IllumiNative, an Indigenous women-led racial and social justice organization, has partnered with the USC Norman Lear Center's Media Impact Project to publish their latest research study, “Native Representation on Scripted Television: Increased Visibility and Its Impact on Audiences,” which examines stereotypical depictions of Indigenous peoples on contemporary television and their impact on viewers.

The study was completed in two parts. Researchers selected 51 series that released new episodes between 2020 and 2022 for content analysis, examining how they portrayed Indigenous characters. A survey-based study was also conducted on three series with notable Indigenous characters, “Rutherford Falls,” “Reservation Dogs,” and “Yellowstone,” measuring how they influence viewership, beliefs, knowledge, and support for social issues affecting Native American communities.

The impact study found that viewers of “Yellowstone” were significantly less likely than non-viewers to agree that the U.S. should uphold treaties that allow Native Americans to control their own land. However, viewers of “Rutherford Falls” were more likely than non-viewers to agree. Fans of “Reservation Dogs” were more likely to support policies such as the Indian Child Welfare Act, which prevents Native American children from being separated from their Native American families.

“This analysis reinforces our long-held belief that when non-Indigenous people tell our stories — even those that are well-intentioned — there is a grave risk that these stories end up diminishing Indigenous autonomy or further reinforcing stereotypes of our communities,” said Crystal Echo Hawk, founder and CEO of IllumiNative. “While it’s refreshing to see that the shows we analyzed rarely deploy stereotypes, the truth is that Indigenous people have been dealing with negative representations of our culture and history since Hollywood’s earliest days, and these have a real impact on attitudes and policy support.”