Sterlin Harjo facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Sterlin Brown Harjo, Jr.
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Harjo in 2024
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| Born | November 14, 1979 Holdenville, Oklahoma, U.S.
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| Alma mater | University of Oklahoma (BA) |
| Occupation | Filmmaker |
| Years active | 2004–present |
| Known for | Reservation Dogs |
Sterlin Harjo, born on November 14, 1979, is a talented filmmaker from the Seminole Nation of Oklahoma. He creates movies and TV shows that often feature Native American stories and are set in his home state of Oklahoma. You might know him best as the co-creator of the popular TV series Reservation Dogs.
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Sterlin Harjo's Early Life and School
Sterlin Harjo is a citizen of the Seminole Nation of Oklahoma. He also has family ties to the Muscogee (Creek) Nation. He grew up in Holdenville, Oklahoma.
After high school, he went to the University of Oklahoma. There, he studied art and learned about making films.
Harjo's Amazing Film Career
In 2004, Sterlin Harjo received a special award called a fellowship from the Sundance Institute. This helped him create his short film Goodnight, Irene. It was shown at the 2005 Sundance Film Festival and won an award at the Aspen Shortsfest. In 2006, he also got a fellowship from United States Artists.
First Feature Films
Harjo's first full-length movie was Four Sheets to the Wind. It tells the story of a young Seminole man who travels to Tulsa to see his sister after their father passes away. The film was shown at the 2007 Sundance Film Festival. Harjo won an award for best director at the 2007 American Indian Film Festival.
His second movie, Barking Water, came out in 2009. This film is about a road trip across Oklahoma. A man who is very sick travels with his former girlfriend to see his daughter and granddaughter in Wewoka. This town is the capital of the Seminole Nation.
Documentaries and Other Projects
Harjo also made a documentary film called This May Be the Last Time. It's about his grandfather, who disappeared in 1962. The film explores Creek Nation hymns and how they connect to other types of music like Scottish folk and gospel. This documentary was shown at the 2014 Sundance Film Festival.
In 2015, Harjo directed a thriller movie called Mekko, which is set in Tulsa. He has also made many short films. One of them, Cepanvkuce Tutcenen (meaning "three little boys"), was part of a special project for a film festival.
Sterlin Harjo is also a member of a Native American comedy group called the 1491s. He helps direct a TV news show for the Cherokee Nation called Osiyo, Voices of the Cherokee People.
The Hit TV Series Reservation Dogs
In 2021, Harjo co-created the comedy series Reservation Dogs for FX. He is also an executive producer, director, and co-writer for the show. The series quickly became very popular.
Reservation Dogs has won many awards, including Best New Scripted Series at the 37th Annual Film Independent Spirit Awards in 2022. During the award ceremony, actor Devery Jacobs mentioned how special the show is. She said it was the first project with all Indigenous creators leading the way in 100 years of film and TV.
Recent Work
In 2023, Harjo directed a music video for the band Turnpike Troubadours. In 2024, he helped write the movie Rez Ball, a sports drama. Also in 2024, Harjo created a pilot episode for a new series called The Sensitive Kind with actor Ethan Hawke. This show has been picked up for a full series by FX.
Awards and Recognition
Sterlin Harjo has received several important awards for his work. In 2011, he won the Tilghman Award from the Oklahoma Film Critics Circle. He also received the American Indian Writers Award in 2013.
In 2021, he won a Peabody Award for Reservation Dogs. In 2024, Harjo was named a MacArthur Fellow. This is a very special award given to talented people in different fields. He was the only filmmaker in his group to receive it that year.
Sterlin Harjo's Filmography
Here are some of the films and TV shows Sterlin Harjo has worked on:
- Goodnight, Irene (short film, 2005)
- Four Sheets to the Wind (2007)
- Barking Water (2009)
- Cepanvkuce Tutcenen (short film, 2009)
- This May Be the Last Time (documentary, 2014)
- Mekko (2015)
- Reservation Dogs (TV series, 2021–2023)
