Native Noir: On Set For Season 3 With The Stars Of Dark Winds

On screen, tensions run high between the characters of the Indigenous psychological thriller Dark Winds. In contrast, on set at Camel Rock Studios in New Mexico, a connection and kinship runs through the cast and crew. That deep-seated mutual respect helps them bring to life the storylines of Tony Hillerman’s Leaphorn & Chee crime novels set on the 1970s Navajo Nation. As Season 3 filming was wrapping, we went behind the scenes with the bright stars of Dark Winds—including Zahn McClarnon, Kiowa Gordon, Jessica Matten, and Deanna Allison—to get the inside scoop on the next chapter of this Native noir. Without revealing too much, let us say this: The plot most certainly continues to thicken for Joe Leaphorn and company.

“In terms of Leaphorn’s evolution over the seasons, I think he has a better understanding of the moral gray areas of the world he lives in,” says Hunkpapa Lakota actor Zahn McClarnon, who serves as both leading man and executive producer on the acclaimed AMC series. “It’s about healing, self-understanding, and reconciling his traumatic past as well as how his choices affect the people he loves. In Season 3, we see him wrestle with his moral compass and test just how far he can push it.”

Playing opposite McClarnon is Diné actress Deanna Allison, who is a member of the Colorado River Indian Tribes. Her character, Emma, helps Leaphorn navigate those ethical dilemmas, but it wasn’t until recently that McClarnon truly understood what a guiding force her character is for his.

Jessica Matten, Zahn McClarnon, Deanna Allison, and Kiowa Gordon wear fashion by Loren Aragon and Rhiannon Griego and jewelry by Cody Sanderson and Adrian Standing-Elk Pinnecoose.

Emma obviously is a bit more culturally grounded than Joe, so she has a huge influence on him.”

Like her tribal police officer husband, Emma is working through the complex emotions that accompany tough experiences like the loss of a child. “In Season 2, we saw Emma start to put her life back together and lead with her heart and her love for community, even in the face of grief,” says Allison. “At the same time, we saw this unraveling between Joe and Emma, which we explore more in Season 3.”

Character Jim Chee is on a spiritual journey of his own. “During the six months between the end of Season 2 and the start of Season 3, Chee has done a lot of soul searching,” says Hualapai actor Kiowa Gordon. “Up until this point, we’ve seen him wrestling with his demons and trying to find his way. Then, in Season 3, he’s a whole new person. He’s back in uniform and wearing a cowboy hat again. But this time, he’s showing people he’s not messing around; he has put in the work and he’s going to put in the work for his community. It’s really cool to see how far he’s come from Season 1 to Season 3.”

Meanwhile, Bernadette Manuelito is starting fresh, having moved off the reservation to take a job as a border patrol officer. “Bernadette has always been an independent person, but this is her time to spread her wings and learn some hard lessons on her own,” says Metis/ Cree/Chinese actress Jessica Matten. “For her, Season 3 is really about realizing maybe the grass isn’t as green on the other side as one might think when they leave in hopes that all their problems will be resolved. She definitely gets a few slaps in the face this season, but that’s life in general—we go on these journeys, learn lessons, and come back as stronger, wiser, better versions of ourselves.

A CAST AND CREW CONNECTION

As dialed in as they are to their respective characters, these actors are also totally tuned into one another. “Everyone’s bringing their A game and ready to exchange this incredible energy,” says Allison. “It’s so empowering, encouraging, and recharging. Working closely with Zahn is like a dream come true, because he’s so generous as a leader and so passionate in reclaiming our storytelling. He’s been in this industry for so long and worked so hard, and you can see the fruits of his manifestation coming to life.”

For McClarnon, the role of Leaphorn is a long-time dream come true. “Since I first got into the business, I’ve always wanted to play three-dimensional characters like this,” he says. “I always knew that, if I had the opportunity to be the lead on a show or film, that I could handle it, but I just never thought I’d have that opportunity because I’m not a very conventional leading man. So, I was pleasantly surprised when this role came along because it’s a character I can really relate to that just happens to be No. 1 on the call sheet.”

The Dark Winds family also includes Indigenous actors who have played recurring or limited roles, including the likes of A Martinez, Eugene Brave Rock, Ryan Begay, Natalie Benally, Elva Guerra, and others; Native creatives such as Chris Eyre, Billy Luther, Erica Tremblay, and Steven Paul Judd; and vital crew members like cultural consultants Jennifer and Manny Wheeler, who advise at every stage from the writer’s room to on set to post-production.

“You’re working with a group of people that has become family because you’re spending 12 hours a day with them for five months straight,” says Matten. “We’re given the space to create a safe, supportive environment to do what we need to do to be in connection.”

The close-knit nature of the cast and crew—many of whom come from Indigenous backgrounds and are locally based in the Santa Fe area—is crucial to the show’s success. It’s key for the apparent onscreen chemistry, but even more importantly, that onset sense of security is vital when it comes time to tackle heavier topics such as abuse, discrimination, murder, suicide, boarding school survival, and other issues impacting tribal communities that are depicted on the show.

“My producing partners and our crew put together a really safe environment that allows us to be vulnerable in those situations,” says McClarnon, nodding to colleagues like Chris Eyre, Tina Elmo, Jim Chory, and John Wirth. “One of the things I enjoy most about acting is allowing myself to be vulnerable, because it helps me grow as a human being. Filming Season 3 was tough as far as what was written on the page, but I had a lot of great people I trust surrounding me and supporting me. You can’t ask for more than that on a TV show.”

Gordon tries to keep things in perspective when he comes to set. “We understand the stakes and we respect the process of what we’re doing and the hard work it takes to create something,” he says. “But at the end of the day, we have to remember that we all love each other and that we’re here for a greater purpose. I think it’s easy to get caught up in the darker material but, ultimately, it’s fiction that we act out. We still have each other’s backs and are doing this with love and an understanding that this is hard material to work with, but it’s not who we are.”

FROM SELF TO SCREEN

Allison, who is originally from New Mexico, relishes the opportunity to bring her Diné traditions to the screen. “I grew up in a practicing Navajo home, so this has always been my identity,” she says. “I’m so glad they wrote Emma as a traditional woman because we’ve been able to bring some of our practices to the show, like the laugh party and the coming-ofage ceremony. Emma is devoted to her heritage and her homestead, just as my grandmothers taught me how to value family from a matriarch perspective. She has this softness and this strength that remind me what it means to be an uplifting traditional Navajo woman.”

McClarnon, meanwhile, revels in watching his costars shine. “I love working with Deanna, and I’ve known Jess and Kiowa for more than a decade,” he says. “Watching their confidence grow has been wonderful, and they have very bright futures. They’re all really well-rounded actors who bring a lot to the show, but the most important thing is that we all get along and really enjoy working together.”

As with any family dynamic, things can still get a bit tense at times. “You know, I do get a little uptight, like when Kiowa is joking around on set,” McClarnon says with a laugh. “I don’t know how he does it, but he can flip this switch as soon as they say action and goes from joking around to acting in this serious scene. I’m a bit more intense and tend to stay in character, but he brings this energy and levity that I really appreciate, and that helps me as a performer. We have a lot of fun on set and a lot of humor going on; it depends on the amount of sleep I get, obviously.” (Case in point: The day we visited set, Gordon was playing early aughts alt-rock bangers on a portable boombox—much to the simultaneous delight and chagrin of his costars.)

In that same vein, the actors admit they bear some striking similarities to their characters. McClarnon, for instance, realizes both he and Leaphorn are fiercely loyal, can be a bit broody, have tempers that flare, and have experienced loss in their lives. Allison says that, like Emma, she has a thirst for life and a deep dedication to her loved ones, but her character has also taught her greater patience, empathy, and situational awareness. Matten says Bernadette reminds her of her younger self in terms of her boldness and brashness in fighting for what she believes in; portraying this character has given her a chance to connect with her true essence. Gordon relates to Chee in many ways, not only because of the parallels within their backstories—growing up on the rez then leaving yet always maintaining a feeling of connection to that place—but also because “at the core of us, we want to see the change in ourselves that we want for the world.”

TWISTS AND TURNS TO COME

The Dark Winds family is set to expand in Season 3 thanks to guest cast members including Jenna Elfman, Bruce Greenwood, Raoul Max Trujillo, Tonantzin Carmelo, Terry Serpico, and Alex Meraz (making for a mini Twilight reunion with Gordon that’s sure to delight die-hard fans). It’s a poignant reminder of the power of cross-cultural collaboration—a phenomenon that’s also reflected in the overwhelmingly positive response to the show’s debut on Netflix last year. The fact that the series is resonating with both Native and non-Native audiences is not lost on its stars.

“I just feel like our show reaches audiences on this really human level,” Allison says through happy tears. “There’s this harmony, beauty, and balance to it, and it reminds us we have to embrace the darkness because that’s what pushes us toward the light. I feel like everyone can relate to that because as individuals we all face these challenges of tumbling between darkness and light.”

The impact of that massive newfound audience—who watched a whopping 929 million minutes of the show within its first week on the mega streamer—can’t be overstated. “It has this amazing ripple effect on our cast and crew,” says Matten. “Not only does it give us hope, especially during these tumultuous times in Hollywood right now, but it also gives us self-confidence culturally.”

More than streaming stats, critical acclaim, or industry accolades, that cultural representation is what really matters to McClarnon. “Native voices are finally being heard, and we’re telling our own stories in an authentic way,” he says. “We’re destroying the stereotypes and tropes that we’ve been dealing with for a long, long time in this business. Native kids are finally seeing themselves represented in film and TV in a positive light, while non-Native viewers are seeing aspects of our cultures they’ve never seen before. They’re responding in a positive way, and our voices are seemingly resonating with them.”

And yet, there’s still work to be done when it comes to honest Indigenous storytelling. “I would love to see more focus that goes beyond the surface of our identity,” says Gordon. “I want to see the deep connections that we have with the earth and with ourselves, our family, and our community reflected. It all starts there, so we have to be able to reach deep into that part of our psyche and our souls. I want people to feel like it’s OK to tell our stories and not have it be a political statement to tell our stories.

I want it to be as easy as breathing—that’s what I want for my community.”

For Allison, the chance to not only showcase the world in which she grew up but also to film in her home state is a surreal experience, one she certainly doesn’t take for granted. “Growing up, I would play on the mesas of Northern New Mexico, sitting and thinking of all these stories in my head,” she recalls. “It’s just so incredible to feel the same way while filming at Camel Rock amid all these canyons as a Navajo woman who’s sharing some of our Navajo practices on the show as I did back then as a Navajo girl just playing.”

At the end of the day, that’s what McClarnon and his fellow producers are really after with Dark Winds—creating a sense of curiosity, empathy, and understanding. “Obviously I want audiences to be entertained, but I also want to give them a glimpse into Navajo culture,” he says. “That goes back to destroying all these stereotypes and tropes about Native cultures that we’ve been dealing with for so long. I’ve had people come up to me and say, ‘Wow, I’m learning a lot about Navajo culture through this show,” which I think is really positive. Although, people won’t truly know what Navajo culture is unless they spend time on the Navajo reservation within that culture. But if Dark Winds gets people to visit the Navajo reservation and spend time with the Navajo people, I think that’s a beautiful thing.” ★

Chemehuevi photographer Cara Romero joined Tlingit writer Kate Nelson at Santa Fe’s Camel Rock Studios, where cast members of AMC’s Dark Winds had gathered for a quick cover shoot during a break from filming Season 3 of the show.

Styling & Production Assistance: Jessica Matten, Lahly Poore

Photography Assistance: Sean McGann, Erika Knecht, Victor Beck

Videography: Mountain Mover Media/Kaela Waldstein

Men’s Fashion: Towering Stone/Loren Aragon

Women’s Fashion: Rhiannon Griego

Jewelry: Asep Designs/Adrian Standing-Elk Pinnecoose & Cody Sanderson

Hair: Krista Perry, Melissa Yonkey, Elicia Vaquez

Makeup: Siobhan Carmody, Lisa Hill, Angelique Ortiz

Season 3 of Dark Winds premieres March 9 on AMC and AMC+.

From our April 2025 issue