- Details
- By Monica Whitepigeon
UNIVERSAL CITY, Calif. — Last week, NBC announced the development of a new TV drama titled “Sovereign,” from award-winning executive producers Ava DuVernay (“When They See Us,” “Selma”) and Cheyenne, Mescalero Apache member Bird Runningwater along with writers and directors Sydney Freeland (“Drunktown’s Finest”), a Navajo Nation citizen, and Shaz Bennett (“Sugar Queen”).
“Sovereign” marks the first Native family drama developed for network television, which chronicles the lives, loves and loyalties of a sprawling Indigenous family struggling to control the future of their tribe against outside forces and themselves.
This collaborative and groundbreaking project offers a different perspective into the lives of Native people and emphasizes the importance of representation both on and off screen.
Freeland, an Emmy-nominated transgender filmmaker, actively seeks projects that challenge audiences’ preconceived notions.
“A lot of times in TV shows and movies, Native Americans are either the wise elder or the noble maiden or some sort of caricature or stereotype. And the same thing with trans women; it’s certainly changed, but they tended to be more marginalized — caricatures as opposed to characters,” Freeland said in a 2019 interview with High Country News.
“If there’s any chance to portray a character with humanity that comes from a marginalized community, I love doing that kind of stuff.”
Last year, TIME featured Runningwater among its “12 Leaders Who Are Shaping the Next Generation of Artists.” As director of the Native Program at the Sundance Institute, Runningwater has spent nearly two decades coaching and mentoring more than 140 different Indigenous filmmakers.
“Native Americans are invisible in American culture. Because we have a visibility issue, we have to establish the narrative,” Runningwater said of the storytelling process in film and television.
For groups such as the Native American and Indigenous Writers Committee (NAIWC), a subcommittee of the Writers Guild of America West, Native representation on network television is long overdue.
In an open letter to the entertainment industry, NAIWC called out Hollywood’s history of misrepresentation of Native peoples and the necessity for Indigenous peoples to tell their own stories. The letter says such representation only accounts for 0.04 percent of all media. Signatories included established professionals like Sterlin Harjo (Seminole, Mvskoke-Creek), Bobby D Wilson (Sisseton Wahpeton Dakota), Marilyn Thomas (Saulteaux, Cree), and Skye Knight Dent (Mississippi Choctaw).
“We call on our colleagues to move beyond the limiting practice of only hiring us as cultural consultants. We are not in the business of legitimizing scripts for free, or authorizing our stories for others to tell. We have seen this for more than a century, and it has only perpetuated racism toward our community by way of erasure and harmful stereotypes,” the letter from NAIWC said. “We need you to zealously push for scripts written by Indigenous writers, TV shows run by Indigenous show-runners, filmed by Indigenous directors and portrayed by Indigenous actors to ensure we have the primary opportunity to portray our communities.”
There is no set release date for “Sovereign,” but Runningwater seems hopeful for its momentous debut.
In a recent Instagram post, Runningwater remarked, “These moments don’t happen without ALLIES willing to risk their names and relationships to open the door for other communities, voices, stories and artists. @ava DuVernay is THAT friend and ALLY taking a chance on this exciting story and standing with the Indigenous community to center Indigenous voices on-screen. Ixehe Sister Ava, we are beyond grateful and we want to do you proud!!”
More Stories Like This
Santa Fe Indian Market’s 2025 Fundraising Gala Features Preeminent Performers and ArtistsPopping Latches and Pulling Gates Lead to Cowboy’s Recognition as a Chickasaw Warrior
United Indians of All Tribes Foundation Celebrates Record-Breaking 36th Annual Seafair Indian Days Powwow
Finding Your Ancestors in the Archives
Minnetonka Seeks to Reconcile with Native Communities Through its Reclamation Collaborative Initiative
Help us tell the stories that could save Native languages and food traditions
At a critical moment for Indian Country, Native News Online is embarking on our most ambitious reporting project yet: "Cultivating Culture," a three-year investigation into two forces shaping Native community survival—food sovereignty and language revitalization.
The devastating impact of COVID-19 accelerated the loss of Native elders and with them, irreplaceable cultural knowledge. Yet across tribal communities, innovative leaders are fighting back, reclaiming traditional food systems and breathing new life into Native languages. These aren't just cultural preservation efforts—they're powerful pathways to community health, healing, and resilience.
Our dedicated reporting team will spend three years documenting these stories through on-the-ground reporting in 18 tribal communities, producing over 200 in-depth stories, 18 podcast episodes, and multimedia content that amplifies Indigenous voices. We'll show policymakers, funders, and allies how cultural restoration directly impacts physical and mental wellness while celebrating successful models of sovereignty and self-determination.
This isn't corporate media parachuting into Indian Country for a quick story. This is sustained, relationship-based journalism by Native reporters who understand these communities. It's "Warrior Journalism"—fearless reporting that serves the 5.5 million readers who depend on us for news that mainstream media often ignores.
We need your help right now. While we've secured partial funding, we're still $450,000 short of our three-year budget. Our immediate goal is $25,000 this month to keep this critical work moving forward—funding reporter salaries, travel to remote communities, photography, and the deep reporting these stories deserve.
Every dollar directly supports Indigenous journalists telling Indigenous stories. Whether it's $5 or $50, your contribution ensures these vital narratives of resilience, innovation, and hope don't disappear into silence.
The stakes couldn't be higher. Native languages are being lost at an alarming rate. Food insecurity plagues many tribal communities. But solutions are emerging, and these stories need to be told.
Support independent Native journalism. Fund the stories that matter.
Levi Rickert (Potawatomi), Editor & Publisher
