‘Dark Winds’ Writer Billy Luther on Native Representation: ‘We Didn’t Need to Explain Everything, We Just Showed It’
Jazz Tangcay Artisans EditorAMC’s groundbreaking thriller Dark Winds is headed for a second season. The well-reviewed show features a team composed almost entirely of Native Americans in front of and behind the camera. From the top down, it was important to the creators to raise visibility across the board, from the writer’s room to the cast, directors and crew, and on screen.Based on Tony Hillerman’s mystery novels, the series follows Joe Leaphorn (Zahn McClarnon), a lieutenant with the Navajo tribal police, as he works alongside a brand new deputy, Jim Chee (Kiowa Gordon).Writer Billy Luther (“Frybread Face and Me”) shares how representation in the writer’s room helped to deliver accurate portrayals of the Native community and what mattered when sharing stories about cultural representation with mainstream audiences.