Five years ago, Canadian actor Dsa国际传媒橮haraoh Woon-A-Tai never wouldsa国际传媒檝e expected to see a series like sa国际传媒淩eservation Dogssa国际传媒� 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 sa国际传媒淛ojo Rabbitsa国际传媒� 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 whosa国际传媒檝e tweeted raves about the series, in which every writer, director and main cast member is Indigenous.

sa国际传媒淔ive years ago this would be not even rare sa国际传媒� itsa国际传媒檇 be impossible,sa国际传媒� Woon-A-Tai said in a recent phone interview.

sa国际传媒淏ut now I think thatsa国际传媒檚 sa国际传媒� definitely going to change.sa国际传媒�

Woon-A-Tai noted the series comes a few months after the Peacock streaming service debuted sa国际传媒淩utherford Falls,sa国际传媒� which touts the largest Indigenous writing staff for an American TV show and stars another Toronto-based actor, Plains Cree performer Michael Greyeyes.

Then theresa国际传媒檚 Harjosa国际传媒檚 upcoming Indigenous basketball film for Netflix, sa国际传媒淩ez Ball,sa国际传媒� which he co-wrote with Navajo filmmaker Sydney Freeland, who is directing.

With so many Indigenous projects coming out, the word sa国际传媒渞aresa国际传媒� wonsa国际传媒檛 be attached to such shows in the future, Woon-A-Tai said.

sa国际传媒淚 feel like thatsa国际传媒檚 going to be the normal thing, eventually. Isa国际传媒檓 so happy and proud to be a part of one of the first few projects to start that.sa国际传媒�

Of course, such representation isnsa国际传媒檛 new in Canada, where the Aboriginal Peoples Television Network has given a major national platform to Indigenous-led series for many years. Examples include sa国际传媒淢occasin Flats,sa国际传媒� which also aired on Showcase Television, and sa国际传媒淢ohawk Girls,sa国际传媒� which also aired on the CBC.

As it turns out, several actors from this side of the border are also in sa国际传媒淩eservation Dogs,sa国际传媒� 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-Taisa国际传媒檚 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.

sa国际传媒淲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,sa国际传媒� 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. Farmersa国际传媒檚 character, for instance, is inspired by Harjosa国际传媒檚 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.

sa国际传媒淓verything you see inside that show, which may seem ridiculous, itsa国际传媒檚 probably true, it probably happened,sa国际传媒� said Woon-A-Tai, whose mothersa国际传媒檚 family descends from Guyana, while his fathersa国际传媒檚 family hails from the isolated Big Trout Lake reserve in northwestern Ontario.

This is Woon-A-Taisa国际传媒檚 biggest TV role to date, after smaller parts on series including the CBCsa国际传媒檚 sa国际传媒淢urdoch Mysteriessa国际传媒� and APTNsa国际传媒檚 sa国际传媒淭ribal.sa国际传媒� He was also in Tracey Deersa国际传媒檚 acclaimed 2020 Canadian film sa国际传媒淏eans,sa国际传媒� which also starred Alexis.

He said hesa国际传媒檚 glad his first foray into comedy is this project, considering sa国际传媒淚ndigenous communities are just so funny.sa国际传媒�

sa国际传媒淵ou may hear that, but itsa国际传媒檚 very true. We tackle a lot of issues with comedy,sa国际传媒� he said. sa国际传媒淎 lot of times when you speak to elders in traditional language, theysa国际传媒檒l always be cracking jokes.sa国际传媒�

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 sa国际传媒済ives people a chance to tear down misconceptions with Indigenous folkssa国际传媒� and is sa国际传媒渘ormalizingsa国际传媒� Indigenous life, said Woon-A-Tai.

sa国际传媒淚sa国际传媒檓 very honoured just to be a part of this project,sa国际传媒� he said. sa国际传媒淭he fact that I get to represent a Nation that Isa国际传媒檓 thousands of miles away from sa国际传媒� talking to locals, doing it accurately sa国际传媒� thatsa国际传媒檚 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.sa国际传媒�

Victoria Ahearn, The Canadian Press