What Tribe Do Reservation Dogs’ Characters Belong To? Real Inspirations Explained

Since Reservation Dogs gives such an honest and realistic glimpse of Indigenous American life, it’s worth wondering which tribe in particular the main characters hail from. Set on a reservation, Reservation Dogs follows four teenagers – Elora Danan Postoak, Bear Smallhill, Chester “Cheese” Williams, and Wilhelmina “Willie Jack” Sampson – who commit petty crimes for money in order to escape their rural home for California to fulfill the dream of their friend Daniel, who died one year earlier. Co-created by Sterlin Harjo, an Indigenous filmmaker, Reservation Dogs provides a refreshing portrayal of Indigenous Americans not often seen on TV.