By BRENT FURDYK.
6 May 2021
Michael Greyeyes as Terry Thomas — Evans Vestal Ward/Peacock
“Rutherford Falls” recently launched on Showcase, starring Ed Helms as Nathan Rutherford and Jana Schmieding as Reagan Wells, two lifelong friends caught in the middle when their sleepy small town receives a wakeup call.
The show has been hailed for breaking new ground in Indigenous representation in comedy television, both in front of and behind the camera. In addition to series regulars Schmieding and Canadian actor Michael Greyeyes, both Indigenous, the series also employs five Indigenous writers.
This week’s episode focuses on Greyeyes’ character Terry Thomas, manager of the local casino owned by the Minishonka tribe. Terry is causing a stir by suing Rutherford Inc., the corporation owned by the descendants of the town’s founder (one of which is Helms’ character), for reneging on a deal between the Rutherford family and the tribe, as laid out in the town charter.
“Rutherford Falls” recently launched on Showcase, starring Ed Helms as Nathan Rutherford and Jana Schmieding as Reagan Wells, two lifelong friends caught in the middle when their sleepy small town receives a wakeup call.
The show has been hailed for breaking new ground in Indigenous representation in comedy television, both in front of and behind the camera. In addition to series regulars Schmieding and Canadian actor Michael Greyeyes, both Indigenous, the series also employs five Indigenous writers.
This week’s episode focuses on Greyeyes’ character Terry Thomas, manager of the local casino owned by the Minishonka tribe. Terry is causing a stir by suing Rutherford Inc., the corporation owned by the descendants of the town’s founder (one of which is Helms’ character), for reneging on a deal between the Rutherford family and the tribe, as laid out in the town charter.
Colleen Hayes/Peacock
In the episode, Terry is speaking with reporter Josh (fellow Canadian Dustin Milligan of “Schitt’s Creek”) about his lawsuit, explaining how Indigenous capitalism differs from American capitalism.
RELATED: Ed Helms And Jana Schmieding’s New Comedy ‘Rutherford Falls’ Takes On A Problematic Statue In First Look
“America only champions one form of capitalism: major corporations — which, I should point out, pay no taxes while we do. They keep all the money for the top,” he explains. “Tribal capitalism distributes revenue, in this case casino revenue, to everyone in the tribe.”
“Don’t you feel that by chasing the almighty dollar you’re selling out your culture?” asks Josh, at which point Terry turns off the recorder to go off the record.
“Have you ever heard of the seven generations?” he says. “It’s a practice to ensure that the Earth, and our language, and our people will not only exist, but thrive, seven generations from now. That the decisions we make today will have an impact long after we’re gone. Everything I do and every move I make, is to ensure the success of my nation.”
As Terry explains, he’s been forced to learn “the great American pastime, which is power. Power, Josh, is a zero-sum game. If you have more of it, I have less. And then you can treat me however you want.”
In the episode, Terry is speaking with reporter Josh (fellow Canadian Dustin Milligan of “Schitt’s Creek”) about his lawsuit, explaining how Indigenous capitalism differs from American capitalism.
RELATED: Ed Helms And Jana Schmieding’s New Comedy ‘Rutherford Falls’ Takes On A Problematic Statue In First Look
“America only champions one form of capitalism: major corporations — which, I should point out, pay no taxes while we do. They keep all the money for the top,” he explains. “Tribal capitalism distributes revenue, in this case casino revenue, to everyone in the tribe.”
“Don’t you feel that by chasing the almighty dollar you’re selling out your culture?” asks Josh, at which point Terry turns off the recorder to go off the record.
“Have you ever heard of the seven generations?” he says. “It’s a practice to ensure that the Earth, and our language, and our people will not only exist, but thrive, seven generations from now. That the decisions we make today will have an impact long after we’re gone. Everything I do and every move I make, is to ensure the success of my nation.”
As Terry explains, he’s been forced to learn “the great American pastime, which is power. Power, Josh, is a zero-sum game. If you have more of it, I have less. And then you can treat me however you want.”
Colleen Hayes/Peacock
Adds Terry: “If we want to ensure this tribe has a successful life, one that can maintain our traditions, art and culture, well, it takes power. And unfortunately, power comes from money. The casino is a means to an end. It’s the industry of its time. Four hundred years ago it was fur trading. Fifty years ago it was manufacturing, and long after I’m dead there will be Minishonka figuring out how to master the next endeavour. Because that’s what we do Josh, those of us who fight this battle. We do whatever we have to. I’ve had to learn to play this game through bare-knuckle necessity. And while they might not make for a feel-good story, I won’t rest until my nation gets every single thing that was taken from them.”
RELATED: Dan Levy Donates $25K To Alberta University’s Indigenous Studies Program After Helping Reach Fundraising Goal
Speaking with Vulture, Greyeyes said he definitely felt the pressure to do justice to such a powerful speech.
“I had to, like, kill it. So I left the set kind of down, but when I saw the final cut, I was like, Okay, that was all right,” he recalled of shooting that scene.
“But for me personally, these are lines that Indigenous people have wanted to say in our encounters with settler culture year-in and year-out for our entire lives, to be able to simply and bluntly speak our truth to power and be unapologetic. To say, ‘You’ve called me ‘marginalized,’ but I’ve been in the centre of my cultural experience’ — what that speech and what that episode did was re-centre our viewing frame dead into the middle of where we’ve been living all this time. When I first read that speech, I practically cried,” he continued.
Adds Terry: “If we want to ensure this tribe has a successful life, one that can maintain our traditions, art and culture, well, it takes power. And unfortunately, power comes from money. The casino is a means to an end. It’s the industry of its time. Four hundred years ago it was fur trading. Fifty years ago it was manufacturing, and long after I’m dead there will be Minishonka figuring out how to master the next endeavour. Because that’s what we do Josh, those of us who fight this battle. We do whatever we have to. I’ve had to learn to play this game through bare-knuckle necessity. And while they might not make for a feel-good story, I won’t rest until my nation gets every single thing that was taken from them.”
RELATED: Dan Levy Donates $25K To Alberta University’s Indigenous Studies Program After Helping Reach Fundraising Goal
Speaking with Vulture, Greyeyes said he definitely felt the pressure to do justice to such a powerful speech.
“I had to, like, kill it. So I left the set kind of down, but when I saw the final cut, I was like, Okay, that was all right,” he recalled of shooting that scene.
“But for me personally, these are lines that Indigenous people have wanted to say in our encounters with settler culture year-in and year-out for our entire lives, to be able to simply and bluntly speak our truth to power and be unapologetic. To say, ‘You’ve called me ‘marginalized,’ but I’ve been in the centre of my cultural experience’ — what that speech and what that episode did was re-centre our viewing frame dead into the middle of where we’ve been living all this time. When I first read that speech, I practically cried,” he continued.
Colleen Hayes/Peacock
“It’s also about Terry’s own relationship to power and how he thinks about using a system for his own people. It’s interesting in the context of a show that’s about Native culture and made through the system that is Hollywood. If you understand our industry, you have to speak about the dynamics of power and about access. That really is the end goal of power: Can I access that script? Can I access that role?” Greyeyes added.
“Since its dawning, we’ve been outside the access. So when I’m on the Paramount lot filming a Universal TV series with all the benefits of that, I recognize that this is a unique position for me as an Indigenous man,” he said. “I know that it cannot be squandered in any way. We have an opportunity, and we have eyes on us. Maybe it’s a burden that I don’t need to give myself, but we have only a few chances to change the dynamic, and I’m hoping that this show is one of those.”
“It’s also about Terry’s own relationship to power and how he thinks about using a system for his own people. It’s interesting in the context of a show that’s about Native culture and made through the system that is Hollywood. If you understand our industry, you have to speak about the dynamics of power and about access. That really is the end goal of power: Can I access that script? Can I access that role?” Greyeyes added.
“Since its dawning, we’ve been outside the access. So when I’m on the Paramount lot filming a Universal TV series with all the benefits of that, I recognize that this is a unique position for me as an Indigenous man,” he said. “I know that it cannot be squandered in any way. We have an opportunity, and we have eyes on us. Maybe it’s a burden that I don’t need to give myself, but we have only a few chances to change the dynamic, and I’m hoping that this show is one of those.”
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