ÂÒÂ×ÉçÇø

He gave Indigenous teenagers their own universe — and the worldÌýcouldn’tÌýlook away. Sterlin Harjo, the Seminole/Muscogee filmmaker and visionary creator behind FX’sÌýReservation Dogs, has spentÌýnearly twoÌýdecades doing something radical: telling Indigenous stories on his own terms, with humor, heart, and zero apology. His debut featureÌýFour Sheets to the WindÌýearned a Grand Jury Prize nomination at Sundance. His documentaryÌýLove and FuryÌý— acquired by Ava DuVernay’s ARRAY and released on Netflix — celebrated the explosive vitality of contemporary Native American art.ÌýReservation Dogs, co-created with Taika Waititi, won back-to-back Peabody Awards and an Independent Spirit Award, and cemented Harjo as one of the most important voices in American television. Now, with a new noir drama on FX and multiple series in development, Harjo shows no signs of slowing down. He joins UW’s Chris Teuton at TownÌýHallÌýSeattle for a conversation about craft, culture, and what it really takes to make a story that changes how people see the world. This is storytelling at its most honest — and most powerful.

Registration opens December 9, 2026.

Biography:

Sterlin Harjo (Seminole/Muscogee) is an award-winning filmmaker from Holdenville, Oklahoma. Now based in Tulsa, Harjo is the creator and showrunner for FX’s The Lowdown, a Tulsa noir drama led by Ethan Hawke — a journalist who knows too much.Ìý

Also known for FX’s Reservation Dogs, co-created with Taika Waititi — Harjo was the showrunner for the three season comedy series following four Indigenous teenage friends living on a reservation in Oklahoma. Emmy®-nominated Reservation Dogs won a 2022 and 2024 Peabody Award, 2022 Television Academy Honors Award, 2022 Independent Spirit Award for Best Comedy Series, was an American Film Institute Awards Honoree for all three seasons and won Best Breakthrough Series under 40 minutes at the 2021 Gotham Awards. Currently, Harjo has multiple series in development with FX Productions.Ìý

Over his career, Harjo has created and directed five feature films: three narrative dramas and two documentaries. His most recent feature, Love and Fury, is a documentary chronicling the work and intersection of over a dozen contemporary Native American artists. Love and FuryÌýwasÌýacquiredÌýby Ava DuVernay’s ARRAY and released on Netflix in December 2021. The film premiered at the 2021 Hot Docs International Documentary Festival and was an officialÌýselectionÌýof the Seattle International Film Festival, Virginia Film Festival andÌýDeadCenterÌýFilm Festival.Ìý

Harjo’s first feature film, Four Sheets to the Wind, premiered at Sundance Film Festival in 2007 and was nominated for the Grand Jury Prize. His feature documentary, This May Be the Last Time, premiered at Sundance in 2014. His most recent narrative feature, Mekko, premiered at the 2015 Los Angeles Film Festival and had its international premiere atÌýTorontoÌýInternational Film Festival. Each of his films are set in Oklahoma and address contemporary Indigenous experiences.Ìý

A founding member of the Native sketch comedy troupe, theÌý1491s, Harjo co-wrote the group’s play, Between Two Knees, an intergenerational comedic love story/musical set against the backdrop of true events in Native American history.Ìý

Moderator:
UW Department of American Indian Studies faculty member,ÌýChrisÌýTeuton, (Cherokee Nation/Echota-Tanasi Ceremonial Grounds in Park Hill, Oklahoma), teaches Indigenous literature, storytelling, studies, and researchÌýmethods. HisÌýscholarship encompasses Indigenous oral and written literary studies, community-based cultural heritage and language revitalization, and the perpetuation of IndigenousÌýarts and epistemologies.

Department Sponsors:ÌýThe Graduate School, Department of Cinema and Media Studies,ÌýDepartment of American Indian StudiesÌý