DURING THE PAST five years, there has been a welcome surge of insight into contemporary Indigenous culture through TV and film. That crucial storytelling happens not just through honest dialogue and scripts helmed by Indigenous writers, but also in how we see characters living onscreen. It’s in what their homes look like and the cultural pieces that emphasize their values. All of it matters, and all of it is intentional.
If you have watched the Emmy-nominated TV show “Reservation Dogs” and the Lily Gladstone–led film “Fancy Dance,” you’re already familiar with Tafv Sampson’s work. The Muscogee set designer is known for creating authentic, lived-in scenery that feels like home for the Indigenous actors on set and welcomes viewers into the featured tribal communities. The characters she develops tend to become one with their surroundings, and that’s by design.
“With ‘Rez Dogs,’ we were making something in a real community, which is pretty rare in TV and film,” says Sampson, who even took an acting turn on the show. “Working with all these people in the community and bringing their special objects into the set made me think about why these things are so important to us. We hold onto these relics that are passed down generation after generation so we can share them and tell stories about them.” For her, the oral tradition so integral to Native cultures is fueled by these pieces.
