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HISPANIC NETWORK MAGAZINE www.hnmagazine.com
COVER STORY
A Worthy Foe
Yellowstone, which is set to start its fourth season in the fall, centers on the Dutton family, most notably, no-nonsense patriarch John Dutton (Kevin Costner). The sixth-gen- eration homesteader and devoted father must juggle running the largest contiguous ranch in the United States and dealing with a family full of problems. Land developers, an energy company and a tribal reservation have eyes on a massive swath of Duttons land. Birminghams Thomas Rainwater is a complicated man. He was not raised on a reservation and believed he was of Mexican descent until he was 18 and saw his adoption papers. That was, obviously, pivotal for him. He earned a master of businesses administra- tion from Harvard. He is now chairman of the Confederate Tribes of Broken Rock. He is usually the smartest guy in the room. And he wants Duttons land or, as he bluntly states in the show, he wants to take back what rightfully belongs to the tribes, meaning he wants to expand the Broken Rock Reservation and keep outsiders as far away as possible. His relationship with Costners John Dutton makes for must-watch TV. On one hand, the two have little in common. Rainwater is Native American. Dutton is White. Rainwater and his tribes have, over the centuries, been robbed of land, resources, wealth. Dutton is a product of generational wealth and, yes, hard work too. On the other hand, theyre both shrewd, true to their causes, even respectful. And they're both unflappable; it's hard to know what theyre going to do until they do it. I think Taylor so brilliantly established a character thats empowered with educa- tion, and a means by which he can operate within the guidelines of a system thats been structured, and empowered that character, to be able to operate and reclaim the resources that have belonged to him for centuries, Birmingham said. It takes a great actor to play a worthy foe of the legendary Costner, but Birmingham is pulling it off. Here are two of his more memorable state- ments to John Dutton, as tensions between the two rise: - Nothing we say here is going to change our goals. Our paths will always collide. We ight. One of us will win. But you've been a good enemy, John. A fair enemy; - I will erase you from the future see, Im the opposite of progress, John. Im the past catching up to you. Yellowstones Facebook page has a thread that starts with the question, What
PHOTO BY RALPH NOTARO/GETTY IMAGES
is your favorite Thomas Rainwater moment from Season 3? Wrote Dianne Montgomery Hocut: Ive enjoyed watching Thomas Rainwater scene where he is in full ceremonial headgear and dress. He has achieved honor, wisdom and power of many. Just fits him!
Steadfast Advocate
Birmingham continues to strongly advocate for Native American rights. In a case, perhaps, of life imitating art, on June 25 he retweeted the Lakota Law Project (@lakotalaw): The U.S. Department of Interior announced Wednesday the restora- tion of more than 18,800 acres of land, known as the National Bison Range, so it can be returned to Indigenous tribes in Montana. Native Americans in Hollywood and Native Americans in society have come a long way. Birmingham mirrors that progress. No lon- ger is he relegated to period-piece, revisionist
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