People of the West

People of the West is a ten-part premium documentary series that reclaims the history of California through Indigenous perspectives. Blending oral histories, tribal archives, expert insight, and cinematic recreations, the series spans from creation stories and pre-contact life through colonization, state-sponsored violence, resistance, and cultural survival. Each episode centers Native voices and lived experience, reframing well-known events—from the mission system and Gold Rush to Alcatraz and modern sovereignty movements—through those who endured them. Visually ambitious and emotionally grounded, the series pairs sweeping landscapes with intimate storytelling to reveal California as it has always been: Native land. Designed to live both on screen and in classrooms, People of the West offers a corrective to dominant narratives while highlighting the resilience, continuity, and contemporary presence of Native nations shaping the state today.

Cast

Marcus DeAnda Captain Cabrillo

Isaiah Samuel Crowfoot Wikami

David Midthunder Sho-Luk

Tiffany Gonzalez Wikami's Mother

Apollo Rico Wikami's Brother

Montana Cypress Wikami's Uncle

James Vallie Hatow

Kusem Goodwind Nim-Tie/ Cocopah Runner

Steven Garcia Spiritual Leader

Jarrod Daniel Aha'ya

Zoey Reyes Atsia

Victor Herminio Lopez Father Junipero Serra

Metadata from the source database.