Reservation dogs curse refers to a prevalent belief or superstition among Native American communities in the United States. This curse is said to affect individuals who grow up on Native American reservations, specifically those who belong to the younger generation. According to the curse, young Native Americans who reside on reservations are destined to face various challenges and obstacles in their lives. These challenges can manifest in different forms, including poverty, addiction, violence, and limited opportunities. The curse is believed to have originated from the historical traumas and injustices inflicted upon Native American communities throughout colonization and subsequent generations. Many attribute the curse to the loss of cultural identity, the erosion of traditional values, and the intergenerational trauma experienced by Native Americans.
Bear and Willie Jack are still riding with Becky. Bear asks to pull over, which Bucky does. Bear gets out and says he supports Willie Jack, but he has to go. Willie Jack is upset to be all alone. Bucky says string theory explains this. He tries to explain it to Willie Jack.
Jackie says their next best bet is to try to steal a car, but their first attempt is botched when they re spotted and chased down by a truck of shotgun-toting rednecks. Bear tells him that Elora went to California and ditched him, and Spirit says that since he s got, uhh, some hair down there, he shouldn t be acting like such a kid anymore.
Many attribute the curse to the loss of cultural identity, the erosion of traditional values, and the intergenerational trauma experienced by Native Americans. Factors such as limited access to quality education, healthcare, and employment opportunities further exacerbate the challenges faced by individuals growing up on reservations. However, it is essential to recognize that the belief in the reservation dogs curse is not universal among Native American communities.
RESERVATION DOGS Season 2 Premiere Recap (S02E01): The Curse
The Reservation Dogs are back after the big storm rocked the community. In “The Curse,” Willie Jack (Paulina Alexis) tries to break the curse she put on the NDN Mafia when bad things start happening to everyone.
In season one, we met the Reservation Dogs, Bear (D’Pharaoh Woon-A-Tai), Elora Danan (Devery Jacobs), Willie Jack and Cheese (Lane Factor). They were planning on leaving Oklahoma for California. That was the dream of their friend Daniel (Dalton Cramer) who died the year before. When the time came to leave, Willie Jack and Cheese decided to stay. Elora and Bear got into an ugly fight prompting Elora to leave with their rival Jackie (Elva Guerra) instead of Bear. All of this after Willie Jack found a White Wizard ( Todd Jenkins) to put a curse on Jackie and her gang the NDN Mafia.
Willie Jack wakes up and tells Daniel’s picture that a lot of bad things are happening. Uncle Brownie (Gary Farmer) stopped the tornado, but he’s not right in the head. Leon (Jon Proudstar) keeps losing things. He thinks the Little People are messing with him. Bear is still seeing the Spirit William Knifeman (Dallas Goldtooth). Cheese is spending more time with Uncle Charlie (Nathan Apodaca aka Doggface), but that’s actually a good thing.
Other things that happened after tornado:
- A horse landed in Kenny Boy’s (Kirk Fox) junkyard. He thinks the creator blessed him. Ansel (Matty Cardarople) cried when they found the horse.
- Big (Zahn McClarnon) is still going on about Bigfoot and the catfish heads he found, that no one else saw.
- Bucky (Wes Studi) is still having issues with his white girlfriend.
- Someone stole Mose (Lil Mike) and Mekko’s (Funny Bone) bikes.
- Elora left with Jackie, making her an enemy. Willie Jack thinks it’s all her fault.
RESERVATION DOGS — “The Curse” — Season 2, Episode 1 (Airs August 3) —Pictured: Elva Guerra as Jackie, Devery Jacobs as Elora Danan. CR: Shane Brown/FX. Copyright 2022, FX Networks. All Rights Reserved
Elora’s GPS on her phone is messed up. They decide to stop at a convenience store for snacks. Jackie finds a Medicine Man fortune teller machine. The Medicine Man tells her “He who hoots with the owls at night cannot soar with the eagles in the morning.” Then he gives her a card that says “Your medicine has grown weak. You must turn away from the path that you are on.” Jackie dismisses it. They buy a map and a knife before leaving.
Bear walks by Daniel’s house and sees a For Sale sign in the yard. Spirit appears, on his way to another appointment. Bear tries to tell him about how bad he feels lately, but Spirit can’t listen to him. He tells Bear to grow up and take some responsibility.
Cheese and Willie Jack walk up as Spirit disappears. They walk to their secret hangout and argue about whether or not they are cursed. Willie Jack is convinced while Bear says it’s all coincidental. When they get to their secret hideout, they find a construction crew there. A crew member tells them that a rancher bought the land. He’s building a mega church. Willie Jack is even more convinced they are cursed! About the same time, Elora Danan’s car breaks down.
Spirit’s next appointment is with Uncle Brownie. Brownie is convinced that he’s a Holy Man now. He decides to get rid of all of the colonizer stuff in his house. The Rez Dogs show up and ask Brownie for help. He says he can’t because he’s trying to be a better man. Willie Jack goes inside his house anyway to talk.
Brownie told them not to mess with bad medicine and they did it anyway. But worse … it’s white man’s medicine. He says they have to go to the source of the curse to reverse it. He won’t help them because he doesn’t mess with bad medicine.
RESERVATION DOGS — “The Curse” — Season 2, Episode 1 (Airs August 3) —Pictured: Lane Factor as Cheese, Gary Farmer as Uncle Brownie. CR: Shane Brown/FX. Copyright 2022, FX Networks. All Rights Reserved
Cheese tells Brownie to alphabetize his VHS tapes. Brownie offers him Sonics if Cheese will do it for him. Cheese also asks to watch Big Trouble in Little China.
Elora and Jackie start walking. A man named Victor (Josh Fadem) stops and offers them a ride. He’s a little creepy but they get in anyway. Jackie gives Elora the knife since she’s sitting in the back seat.
Victor is on his way to a huge cross since he’s a Christian and all. He turns on country music and talks about how Gary Allen speaks to him. After 15 minutes of rambling, Victor turns on a dirt road. The girls question the turn and things turn really scary. Victor tells them to keep calm, but Jackie is ready to kick him in the face. She tells him to stop the car and he refuses. Jackie kicks him in the face and tells Elora to stab him. Elora stabs Victor in the shoulder and he stops the car. The girls jump out and Victor takes off … with all of their bags and money.
Willie Jack and Bear go to the bar where she found the White Wizard. He says he can’t reverse the curse. The barfly next to him tells the kids to get a job. The White Wizard says they need a level five wizard to undo his spell. And they’re all dead. The kids leave to continue their search.
Aunt Bea (Kimberly Guerrero) is cutting Bucky’s hair when the kids walk up. Auntie Dede (Dorothea Porras) is also on the porch and tells Bear that she could have been his momma. She knew his dad back in the day. But he’s gone now, leaving Bear “all dad-less.”
Willie Jack asks Bea for some more of Jackie’s hair, but Bea pretends she has no idea what the girl is talking about. Bucky offers to sweep up his own hair. Willie Jack doesn’t know what the big deal is. Bucky warns them against using medicine on people, but it’s too late.
After they leave, Bear gets really quiet. Bucky catches up to them and says he will help them break the curse. They need something personal from the person they cursed, but it doesn’t have to be hair. Willie Jack says they could ask Jackie’s aunt, but they don’t know where she is. Bear says Jackie’s auntie works at the IHS clinic … she’s the receptionist (Jana Schmieding).
RESERVATION DOGS — “The Curse” — Season 2, Episode 1 (Airs August 3) —Pictured: Devery Jacobs as Elora Danan. CR: Shane Brown/FX. Copyright 2022, FX Networks. All Rights Reserved
Elora and Jackie stop at a restaurant and bond over the fact that they lost someone close to them recently. Jackie is also impressed that Elora actually stabbed that creepy driver. Elora is afraid he will die.
Bear waits for Willie Jack outside with Bucky. Bucky catches up with Old Man Fixico (Richard Ray Whitman) and they talk about Man Moons. Willie Jack tells Bev about the curse and how she needs something from Jackie to reverse it. Bev thinks she’s crazy and dismisses her.
Bear gets annoyed and says there is no curse. He’s hungry and ready to go. Willie Jack is a little sad, saying she would help him reverse a curse. Willie Jack also texted Cheese to let him know that Bucky is helping them. When Cheese tells Brownie, Brownie gets excited and decides they need to go. Bucky doesn’t know what he’s doing.
On the way to get food, Bear decides he needs to go. He asks Bucky to stop the car and gets out. He tells Willie Jack that he supports her before leaving. Bucky makes Willie feel better, saying string theory explains it all. He says they are all like vibrating notes in a song. Take away a part and the song changes, but the song never dies.
Elora and Jackie walk along a dirt road, contemplating stealing a car. They find a house with several cars parked in the yard. Jackie looks at the car on the end and easily find the keys inside. Someone comes out from behind the house and sees Elora get into the car. The person yells at people in the house, telling them that someone is stealing their car. Elora and Jackie take off running as a truck full of guys with shotguns drive up behind them.
Watch the Reservation Dogs on FX on Hulu.
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Willie Jack asks Bea for some more of Jackie’s hair, but Bea pretends she has no idea what the girl is talking about. Bucky offers to sweep up his own hair. Willie Jack doesn’t know what the big deal is. Bucky warns them against using medicine on people, but it’s too late.
While some may subscribe to this belief, others refute it and instead focus on resilience and empowerment. Numerous Native American individuals and communities have actively worked towards breaking the cycle of poverty, addressing social issues, and revitalizing their cultural heritage. Efforts to combat the curse include promoting education, cultural preservation, and community development initiatives. Native American leaders and organizations have advocated for increased government support, improved infrastructure, and targeted programs to address the specific challenges faced by reservation communities. Despite the existence of these challenges, it is crucial to acknowledge the resilience, strength, and talent prevalent among Native American communities. Many individuals who grow up on reservations have achieved success in various fields, including arts, academia, and activism. These success stories serve as a testament to the determination and potential of Native American youth. Overall, the reservation dogs curse reflects the complex realities faced by Native American communities, but it should not overshadow the strength, resilience, and potential for positive change within these communities. By recognizing the challenges and actively working towards their resolution, it is possible to uplift and empower individuals who grow up on reservations and break the cycle of the curse..
Reviews for "Reservation Dogs and the Evolution of Native American Storytelling"
1. Sarah - 2/5
I was really excited to watch "Reservation Dogs: Curse" as I loved the first season, but I was extremely disappointed with this one. The storyline was all over the place and lacked direction. The characters seemed to have lost their spark and the humor felt forced. The show tried to introduce too many new characters, making it difficult to keep track of everyone. Overall, I found it to be a letdown compared to the previous season.
2. John - 1/5
"Reservation Dogs: Curse" was a complete mess. The writing was sloppy, and the plot was hard to follow. I couldn't connect with any of the characters, and as a result, I didn't care about what happened to them. The attempts at humor fell flat, and it seemed like the show was trying too hard to be funny. The concept had so much potential, but it was wasted in this season. I wouldn't recommend watching it if you enjoyed the first season.
3. Emily - 2.5/5
While I enjoyed the first season of "Reservation Dogs," I found "Reservation Dogs: Curse" to be disappointing. The pacing felt off, and there were episodes that seemed to drag on without much happening. The portrayal of some of the characters felt inconsistent, and it was hard to invest in their journeys. The show had its moments, but overall, it lacked the charm and humor that made the first season so enjoyable. I hope the next season improves upon these flaws.