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If you’ve been scrolling through Netflix in the last month, you may have seen something called Skinwalkers: The Navajo Mysteries. The name alone is pretty badass, as it evokes images of Native American horror stories, but what exactly is it?
Well, it’s technically not a television show at all, but a collection of three made-for-TV movies from the early ’00s. The original one was called Skinwalkers and was adapted from a 1980s series of celebrated detective novels written by Tony Hillerman. Robert Redford — yes, that Robert Redford — and his son co-produced the series, which took a long time to find funding. Apparently Hollywood doesn’t think that people will tune into a show with an all-Native American cast. The irony was that Skinwalkers became the highest rated program on PBS in 2002. Two other films followed. All three comprise Skinwalkers: The Navajo Mysteries.
But what is it about? Well, the name is a tiny bit misleading. While skinwalkers are the stuff of Navajo legends and contemporary horror stories, the series is a tried and true detective drama. Adam Beach plays young Navajo police officer (and medicine man in training) Jim Chee. He’s partnered with grizzled veteran detective Joe Leaphorn (Wes Studi), who has returned to his childhood home after years away. The two have to contend with a series of grisly murders by a suspect who is matching the skinwalker legend. Mysticism and skepticism go hand-in-hand on the case.
What really sets Skinwalkers: The Navajo Mysteries apart from other crime dramas is this intriguing blend of Navajo legend and contemporary cliché. Every step of the case is an opportunity to examine the strange relationship that Native American culture has with modern American society. Jim Chee might be learning about the ancient ways, but he’s still a young, naive cop in comparison to Leaphorn. Leaphorn, on the other hand, needs to learn how to bring the best parts of his mainstream training to this particular case. The mysteries are intriguing bits of drama, but they also provide dramatic backdrops for these complicated conversations about how Navajo culture can be integrated with the modern American world.
The bottom line is that this is really good murder mystery “series” that blends Native American culture with a cool eerie vibe. It’s definitely a must-see for fans of the crime thriller genre.
[Watch Skinwalkers: The Navajo Mysteries]
[Photo: ITV, PBS]
