The Peacock sitcom “Rutherford Falls” features actor Ed Helms of “The Office” and the Hangover movie franchise. But the real stars – at least to many of the attendees of this week’s National Indian Gaming Association Trade Show – are the other, predominately Indian actors in the cast, including Michael Greyeyes, Geraldine Keams, Jana Schmeding, and Tai Leclaire.
Helms, Leclaire, and writer/co-creator Sierra Teller Ornelas were honored by NIGA Chairman Ernie Stevens Thursday at the tradeshow.
“It means the world to us,” Stevens told Helms during the session “Honoring Rutherford Falls: Native American Representation in The Media.” “These two Indian professionals that you walk with are what we live for and believe in, what we’re here for.
“If you guys weren’t on the frontlines, if we didn’t have advocates like Ed Helms, they’d still be doing it (misrepresenting tribal communities).”
“Rutherford Falls” debuted in April 2021, just before “Reservation Dogs,” another television program with a predominately Indian cast. Created by Helms, Mike Schur (of “Parks & Recreations” and “The Good Place” fame), and Ornelas, the show creates a world where Native Americans are neither caricatures nor timeworn clichés.
Ornelas says the show is already inspiring the next generation of Indian actors, writers, and producers.
“We’re the original storytellers,” said Ornelas, a member of the Navajo Nation, whose writing credits include “Superstore” and “Brooklyn Nine-Nine.” “My middle name is Teller, because my great-great-grandfather was a storyteller. The act of storytelling is in our blood. And (“Rutherford Falls”) is just us doing it on more extreme level.”
Noting the number of Indian actors in the cast, Leclaire, who also serves as a story editor on “Rutherford Falls,” noted that it’s the first time he’s had so many Native co-workers since he was in high school.
“I’m so used to being the only Native at my job and having to represent everyone when it’s an impossible task,” said Leclaire, who is Mohawk and Mi’kmaq. “So it’s great to be on this show with so many other great Native writers. Sierra was like the Native American Thanos (from Marvel Comics), picking us out from other comedy and writing backgrounds.”
Crystal Echo Hawk, president and CEO of the advocacy group IllumiNative who interviewed Helms, Ornelas, and Leclaire, said the importance of “Rutherford Falls” transcends other shows that have featured Indian casts.
“We have been invisible to the American public,” Echo Hawk said. “A lot of times, people don’t even know we exist, or we’re a stereotype. And literally through this show, this beautiful story and comedy, we’re changing the story and we’re changing the way people see us.”
Helms says he loved the way “Rutherford Falls” ties into universal themes, but in a different, unique manner through the cast and writers.
“We were originally excited about exploring these themes of how we relate to the stories of our families,” Helms said, “our personal histories and our cultural histories, and the way we sometimes cling to things and learn new things. And we sometimes have positive and sometimes negative reactions to what we find out about ourselves and our histories.”
For Ornelas, it’s a chance to change perceptions, while also giving Indian actors opportunities. She said there are plenty of Native actors capable of filling roles and becoming stars. Shows like “Rutherford Falls” and “Reservation Dogs” are finally giving them a chance.
“There’s this [misconception] that we’re not out there,” Ornelas said. “We’re definitely out there. We just need more opportunities.”
