Mohawk Girls
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Mohawk Girls
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A Lot or a Little?
The parents' guide to what's in this TV show.
What Parents Need to Know
Parents need to know that Mohawk Girls is a Canadian dramedy that takes place on an Indigenous American reservation. It features very strong innuendo (but no nudity), crude humor, physical fighting, and mature themes associated with dating, parenthood, identity, and social attitudes about non-indigenous people. There's some occasional strong language and lots of drinking and drunken behavior, too. It offers social commentary about what life is like living on a Mohawk reservation, as well as what it means to be Indigenous American.
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What's the Story?
Based on a 2005 documentary produced by Tracey Deer, MOHAWK GIRLS (2010-2017) is an award-winning Canadian dramatic comedy series about four twenty-some indigenous women navigating life on their reservation. Zoe (Brittany Leborne), Bailey (Jennifer Pudavick), and Caitlin (Heather White) are looking for romance while living on the protected lands of the Kahnawake Mohawk Nation. Meanwhile, Anna (Maika Harper), who is of mixed-Mohawk decent, has just moved back to the reservation after living in New York City in order to connect with her paternal roots. Together the four women negotiate messy relationships, friendships, and who they are as Mohawk women.
Is It Any Good?
This Canadian series pays a slightly less edgy nod to Sex & the City while highlighting some of the values and tensions within the Mohawk community. The sexual humor, combined with dream sequences, create some funny and original moments. There's also some poignant themes that relate to family and self-identity. But for those unfamiliar with reservation life, some of what is presented here, such as racist attitudes towards non-indigenous and mixed-race people, and the efforts of tribes to increase their population and status, will also be interesting, if not surprising. However, Indigenous American viewers from both sides of the Canadian border will mostly likely understand and appreciate the social commentary it offers. Overall, Mohawk Girls is a funny show that features a rather non-original story about the trials and tribulations of young women looking for love, but tells it from a point a view and cultural experience that is not often represented in media.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the history of the Mohawk people. Why are they also referred to as the Iroquois? What challenges have resulted from the fact that the protected lands of the Mohawk Nation are located on both sides of the U.S.-Canadian border?
What social norms and values does Mohawk Girls identify as being part of indigenous Kahnawake Reservation culture? How do they differ from non-indigenous, non-reservation cultural norms? What tensions arise when people try to negotiate both?
TV Details
- Premiere date: July 10, 2007
- Cast: Brittany Leborne, Jennifer Pudavick, Heather White, Maika Harper
- Network: Peacock
- Genre: Comedy
- TV rating: TV-14
- Last updated: March 7, 2023
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