Taylor Sheridan and John Linson’s neo-Western drama Yellowstone has continued to remain one of the most popular shows since its release in 2018. While the show concluded after five seasons, fans have continued following up with the Dutton family through spin-offs like 1833 and 1923. However, the drama surrounding the TV series is not limited to the screen only, as the cast of the show has caused plenty of it off-screen as well.
One such incident is related to Kelsey Asbille, known for playing Monica Long Dutton in the show, who sparked a larger conversation over Native identity and representation after landing one of the leading roles in the show.
Yellowstone Star’s Questionable Native American Heritage
After playing the role of a young Native American woman in the 2017 film Wind River, Kelsey Asbille landed the role of Monica Dutton in the Kevin Costner starrer Yellowstone. The series features the character with a Native American and lifelong resident of Broken Rock Indian Reservation.
However, portraying the character in the popular series triggered inquiries about the actress’ background. In a report questioning why Hollywood does not cast Indian actors for Indian roles, The New York Times claimed that Asbille is of “Taiwanese, British and Eastern Band Cherokee descent.”
The report also stated that while the actress did not grow up in the indigenous community, she still claimed to have an “intense connection” to her Native American character in Wind River, asserting, “This role, more than any other, it’s in my blood.”
However, once news broke out that the Teen Wolf actress had joined the cast of Taylor Sheridan’s Yellowstone in one of the leading roles, multiple Native American actors shared their issues with her casting, arguing that Asbille’s claim to being Native American was false.
Native American Actors Raised Issues Over Kelsey Asbille’s Casting
The news of Kelsey Asbille’s casting in Yellowstone was met with criticism by Native-American actors Adam Beach and Sonny Skyhawk. Beach spoke up against the show in an Instagram post, calling up for its boycott, as he questioned Asbille’s ancestry. The post read,
“Failure in Diversity. I’m asking my Native Actors to stay away from this project. Yellowstone is telling the world that there are no Native actresses capable of leading a TV show. Unless your great-great-great grandparents are Cherokee.”
Sonny Skyhawk also inquired into the actress’ ancestry from the nation’s Tribal Enrollment Office, which declared that the tribe has no record of the Wind River actress and also could not find any evidence that she was a descendant.
Shyhawk also expressed frustration with the casting, saying, “What got me jolted by it was that I have a lot of Native female actors that need a job.” However, both the actress and the showrunner, Taylor Sheridan, declined to say anything on the issue, despite the series claiming to deliver an authentic portrayal of Native life in America.