Five years ago, Canadian actor D香蕉视频直播橮haraoh Woon-A-Tai never would香蕉视频直播檝e expected to see a series like 香蕉视频直播淩eservation Dogs香蕉视频直播� 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 香蕉视频直播淛ojo Rabbit香蕉视频直播� 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 who香蕉视频直播檝e tweeted raves about the series, in which every writer, director and main cast member is Indigenous.

香蕉视频直播淔ive years ago this would be not even rare 香蕉视频直播� it香蕉视频直播檇 be impossible,香蕉视频直播� Woon-A-Tai said in a recent phone interview.

香蕉视频直播淏ut now I think that香蕉视频直播檚 香蕉视频直播� definitely going to change.香蕉视频直播�

Woon-A-Tai noted the series comes a few months after the Peacock streaming service debuted 香蕉视频直播淩utherford Falls,香蕉视频直播� which touts the largest Indigenous writing staff for an American TV show and stars another Toronto-based actor, Plains Cree performer Michael Greyeyes.

Then there香蕉视频直播檚 Harjo香蕉视频直播檚 upcoming Indigenous basketball film for Netflix, 香蕉视频直播淩ez Ball,香蕉视频直播� which he co-wrote with Navajo filmmaker Sydney Freeland, who is directing.

With so many Indigenous projects coming out, the word 香蕉视频直播渞are香蕉视频直播� won香蕉视频直播檛 be attached to such shows in the future, Woon-A-Tai said.

香蕉视频直播淚 feel like that香蕉视频直播檚 going to be the normal thing, eventually. I香蕉视频直播檓 so happy and proud to be a part of one of the first few projects to start that.香蕉视频直播�

Of course, such representation isn香蕉视频直播檛 new in Canada, where the Aboriginal Peoples Television Network has given a major national platform to Indigenous-led series for many years. Examples include 香蕉视频直播淢occasin Flats,香蕉视频直播� which also aired on Showcase Television, and 香蕉视频直播淢ohawk Girls,香蕉视频直播� which also aired on the CBC.

As it turns out, several actors from this side of the border are also in 香蕉视频直播淩eservation Dogs,香蕉视频直播� 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-Tai香蕉视频直播檚 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.

香蕉视频直播淲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,香蕉视频直播� 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. Farmer香蕉视频直播檚 character, for instance, is inspired by Harjo香蕉视频直播檚 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.

香蕉视频直播淓verything you see inside that show, which may seem ridiculous, it香蕉视频直播檚 probably true, it probably happened,香蕉视频直播� said Woon-A-Tai, whose mother香蕉视频直播檚 family descends from Guyana, while his father香蕉视频直播檚 family hails from the isolated Big Trout Lake reserve in northwestern Ontario.

This is Woon-A-Tai香蕉视频直播檚 biggest TV role to date, after smaller parts on series including the CBC香蕉视频直播檚 香蕉视频直播淢urdoch Mysteries香蕉视频直播� and APTN香蕉视频直播檚 香蕉视频直播淭ribal.香蕉视频直播� He was also in Tracey Deer香蕉视频直播檚 acclaimed 2020 Canadian film 香蕉视频直播淏eans,香蕉视频直播� which also starred Alexis.

He said he香蕉视频直播檚 glad his first foray into comedy is this project, considering 香蕉视频直播淚ndigenous communities are just so funny.香蕉视频直播�

香蕉视频直播淵ou may hear that, but it香蕉视频直播檚 very true. We tackle a lot of issues with comedy,香蕉视频直播� he said. 香蕉视频直播淎 lot of times when you speak to elders in traditional language, they香蕉视频直播檒l always be cracking jokes.香蕉视频直播�

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 香蕉视频直播済ives people a chance to tear down misconceptions with Indigenous folks香蕉视频直播� and is 香蕉视频直播渘ormalizing香蕉视频直播� Indigenous life, said Woon-A-Tai.

香蕉视频直播淚香蕉视频直播檓 very honoured just to be a part of this project,香蕉视频直播� he said. 香蕉视频直播淭he fact that I get to represent a Nation that I香蕉视频直播檓 thousands of miles away from 香蕉视频直播� talking to locals, doing it accurately 香蕉视频直播� that香蕉视频直播檚 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.香蕉视频直播�

Victoria Ahearn, The Canadian Press