Taylor Sheridan has been deeply instrumental to the entertainment industry as far as the Western genre is concerned. The creator of Yellowstone and its various spinoffs, the director-write-actor, is a one-man army who has single-handedly created one of the most prolific TV shows of our times.
However, his legacy is not without controversy. Just a year ago, while discussing awards and accolades, the Yellowstone creator went on to state how his film Wind River changed a groundbreaking law in the US. Apparently, a blatant lie, members of the Native communities called him out and asked him to apologize.
Taylor Sheridan Claims His Film Wind River Changed Groundbreaking Law
Several such examples can be found throughout history, where media often led to the spread of progressive ideals and the destruction of oppressive ones. However, when Taylor Sheridan made the same remarks regarding his film Wind River, he could not have been more wrong.
Inspired by the true events of the female members of the Indigenous American community suffering years of s*xual violence and more, the movie presented a cruel picture of reality, yet its main characters were all white.
While talking to The Hollywood Reporter over his lack of Emmys and his shows being snubbed, the writer revealed the profound impact his movie had on American society.
“[Wind River] actually changed a law, where you can now be prosecuted if you’re a U.S. citizen for committing r*pe on an Indian reservation, and there’s now a database for missing murdered Indigenous women… But that law had a profound impact. All social change begins with the artist, and that’s the responsibility you have.”
Sheridan had stated while referring to the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) Reauthorization Act. As soon as his comments went viral, members of the Indigenous Native community called him out for his blatant lie.
Native Community Members Call Out Taylor Sheridan
While Yellowstone is counted among the greatest TV shows, a closer look at the show’s premise will show how problematic it is. It features a white male fighting to protect a ranch that belonged to a Native tribe. So when Sheridan’s comments went viral about Wind River being instrumental for Indigenous women, the members of the community had much to call him out for.
“Yellowstone creator Taylor Sheridan’s attempt to take credit for the passage of VAWA is gross and completely discredits years of tireless advocacy from the Native community. His movie Wind River perpetuates the myth that the FBI investigates MMIW cases. They do not. Sheridan should be apologizing, not taking credit for a victory secured by Indian Country advocates and led by Native women.”
Stated Native Rights attorney Mary Kathryn Nagle in a statement to IllumiNative. The Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) Reauthorization Act was first passed in 1994 under President Bill Clinton and was signed into law in 2022 expanding special criminal jurisdiction of Tribal courts to cover non-Native perpetrators of s*xual assault, child abuse, stalking, s*x trafficking, and assaults on tribal law enforcement officers on tribal lands.
Nagle was not the only one calling him out. Other Native organizations and communities also asked the Yellowstone creator to apologize (via Yahoo). While Sheridan has yet to apologize, his statement and the backlash he has since received highlight how often native communities and their contributions are sidelined by the majority, a trend that needs to change.
Wind River can be rented on Amazon Prime.
