Mo Brings Plenty on rez life and ‘Yellowstone’
Sandra Hale Schulman Special to ICT
As filming continues on the final season of "Yellowstone," one of the main Native characters in the Paramount television series talked to ICT recently about his work on the five-season series, his childhood and his new job as a Native advisor for a major media and entertainment company.
"Yellowstone," which premiered in June 2018 on Paramount Network, follows the Dutton family and their efforts to protect their Montana ranch from encroaching developers, corrupt government officials and tribal leaders.
In "Yellowstone," Mo Brings Plenty plays the self-titled part of Mo Brings Plenty, a tribal officer and the right-hand man to casino mogul and tribal chief Thomas Rainwater (played by Gil Birmingham). The Oglala Lakota actor – known for his long braids and cowboy hat – said he's enjoyed playing a character that some would describe as morally ambiguous.
"We, the Native characters, could be viewed as either way, either side, good and bad," he told ICT from New York. "It's interesting."
The show became the source of controversy recently after lead actor Kevin Costner left the cast following a dispute with the show's co-creator Taylor Sheridan. Still, Brings Plenty praised Sheridan's skills and his willingness to support Native causes.
"Taylor Sheridan's an amazing writer," he said. "Much respect for his talent and his gift, and what he does, and not only is he an amazing writer, but he's also an amazing director. He's an actor too. He's been in a couple of scenes. What Indian Country needs is those strong advocates."
Brings Plenty – whose traditional name is Ta Sunke Wospapi ("Catches His Horse") – talked about his life on the Pine Ridge Reservation. He said he grew up with "no running water and no electricity" but described his days there as the best of his life.
"I rode horses, and so for me, the horses were that good medicine that I needed to persevere, which fits in with what I do now," he said. "When I go to different locations, I talk to kids. A lot of them will say we're poor. No, we're not poor. We are so wealthy. You just don't see or recognize that. You don't understand that wealth, and that wealth is your cultural identity."
Brings Plenty said he hasn't forgotten his roots.
"I work in that industry, but I'm not a Hollywood Indian," he said. "I'm a reservation kid all the way. Like I said, I had no electricity growing up to see actors on TV or movies so my heroes growing up were my father, my grandparents, Howard Hunter Sr., Leonard Crow Dog Sr., Sitting Bull, and all the women."
Always keeping his past in mind, Brings Plenty said he often seeks advice from traditional Native people.
"I go to the people who honestly lived and persevered – all the trials and tribulations of when being Indian was not cool at all," he said. "I go to those people out of respect, because they're the individuals who've seen it through, who preserved culture, language, identity, all of those things and are still paying the price. So for me, it's a way to have society give back to those who kept such beautiful things alive and well."
He said he continues to live traditionally in order to serve as a role model for Native youth.
"I braid my hair every morning, and I want not just society to know that we still exist, but I want our young people to feel prideful and maintain humility," he said. "I'm trying to help our young people to understand that our teachers are still here, and they live in your communities. Go see them. Go talk to them. Go spend time with them. Go help them do something, and you're going to learn something. That's how I got where I'm at."
Recently, Brings Plenty took on a new role – as the American Indian cultural affairs director for Teton Ridge, a Western sports media, lifestyle and entertainment company. Brings Plenty will oversee authenticity, diversity and industry culture across several of the company's subsidiaries, including Cowboys & Indians magazine, the Arizona Ridge Riders, a professional bull riding team within the PBR Teams League, and Teton Ridge Entertainment.
This summer, he worked in New York during Maverick Days, a Professional Bull Riders event, providing advice to the Ridge Riders team.
"We try to encourage our team and keep them strong and bring forth that understanding and faith, cultural diversity, traditions and how we can incorporate things into our everyday life that help us out," Brings Plenty said. "These individual bull riders are super active. Not every eight seconds on the bull goes well. It doesn't always go their way."
Brings Plenty also will consult for Teton Ridge Entertainment, which produces films, series and new media projects that tell stories of the American West.
"After hosting Mo at many of our events and watching him build long standing, impactful relationships across the industry – all while educating and bringing much-needed perspective to the table – it was quite obvious that his playing a larger role was imperative in paving the way for the future of Teton Ridge and the industry at large," said Deirdre Lester, CEO of Teton Ridge.
Brings Plenty described Teton Ridge as a "strong ally for Indian Country." He said his work for the company fits well within his life experience.
"I have to pinch myself every day. Is this real?" he said. "I remember as a kid, I was told that I would go nowhere by being an Indian, but I'm thankful for that because I don't know what it is with me, I'm just wired differently. Because if someone says I can't do something, trust me, I'm going to give it 110 percent. I just try to do all that I can to represent the past with hopes that I influence those today to do the same."
