Nelson Renville

**Nelson Renville** is the curator of the cultural center and Reagan's boyfriend.

## History

### Getting Hired

Nelson came to the cultural center to interview for the position of curator. He told Reagan that he had also spent time working with his elders to preserve their people's language. He said he'd ended up teaching them so much, though he didn't see it as an achievement so much as a cultural imperative. He then started to point out flaws in the museum's collection until Reagan ended the interview. Despite this, Reagan ended up hiring him for the job due to a lack of other adequate candidates, because she could verify that he was actually Native.

### Helping Reagan

Nelson was unpacking items for their collection when Reagan handed him a pair of gloves and told him to wear them to avoid damaging the items. He told her that the items were meant to disintegrate back to Mother Earth, but she didn't have time to finish that conversation as she was going to apply for a land assignment. He knew not having kids would work against her and said that tribal bureaucracy wasn't for the weak. She insisted she would be fine, but when she returned, she complained about having to choose the land to apply for. He suggested she should go look at the land and offered to go with her.

Nelson helped Reagan find the plot and evaluate it. He said she could fit a two to three bedroom trailer there and the pool she wanted. Then he went back with her to the office to turn in her application. When he overheard that it could take up to six months for her just to get the application, he told Trish that he was her husband, which allowed her to get an application immediately.

Outside, Reagan thanked Nelson for his help and asked why he wasn't married. He said he had a weird tooth and cystic acne in high school. Then he admitted that people in town had told him about Reagan's past, including leaving her fiancé at the altar. Reagan asked if she could take him somewhere. She took him to the building site for the new cultural center and told him her plans for it. Nathan said he wanted to categorize items by region not type, so they told a more complete story about the relationship between the people and the land. Nelson then deduced that Reagan wanted to kiss him. They leaned closer to each other and kissed.

### Halloween

Nelson and Reagan decided to go to Wayne and Sally's Halloween party in a couples costume. Nelson dressed as a hot dog while Reagan was ketchup. Shortly after they arrived at the party, Shauna, Fay, and Chloe approached, all dressed as condiments themselves, and started to flirt with an oblivious Nelson. While talking to the women, Nelson noticed Reagan talking to a man and asked Sally who it was. Sally said it was Reagan's ex. He though she meant Josh, but Bobbie said no, it was Ray, and showed him a picture of Josh.

Nelson went over and introduced himself to Ray and they quickly ended up in a pissing contest over trying to start the bonfire for Sally, even to the point of ignoring Reagan when she ended up in a physical fight with Shauna, Fay, and Chloe.

After it was over, Reagan told Nelson that Ray was married and she didn't want him back while Nelson said he only wanted Reagan, reassuring both of them. Nelson said next year, they would stay home and pass out candy, then he took Reagan to the emergency room.

### Bonding with Nathan

Before the firefighters pancake breakfast, Reagan told Nelson that Nathan was going to be there and she wanted the two of them to bond. At the breakfast, Nathan apologized for not hanging out with Nelson and Reagan more at the Halloween party. Nelson said it was okay because his barely noticed. As they watched Larry, a firefighter, talk to some kids about becoming firefighters, Nelson said that sometimes fire was good and talked to Nathan about Natives using controlled burning. Nelson was surprised that Nathan was interested as most people weren't.

Nelson and Nathan later drew ire from Larry when he overheard them making fun of firefighters. Nathan tried to apologize, but Larry challenged him to do the Devil's Jump and Nelson backed up that Nathan could do it. Nelson cheered Nathan on as he completed the jump.

### Returning Home

While Reagan prepared for her application for land to be reviewed, Nelson told her he had to return home, as one of the last fluent speakers of their language was really sick and would only speak to Nelson. It was vital that they record her and interview her, so Reagan said to go.

Later, Reagan called Nelson to tell them she got the land, but she had also decided to user the line to build cooperative housing. She wondered if she should have consulted him before deciding that, but he said it could be pretty cool.

## Relationships

### Romantic

He met Reagan when he interviewed for a job at the cultural center. She initially rejected him when he pointed out flaws in the collection, but after accidentally hiring a pretendian, she hired Nelson and told him he could get started fixing the things he'd noticed.

Nelson and Reagan got closer when she was applying for a land assignment. He helped her evaluated the plots available and when she was told it could be up to six months because she was single and childless, he pretended to be her husband, allowing her to get an application immediately. She then took him to the building site of the new cultural center, where they shared a kiss.

While Reagan was in New York working on Adirondack, Nelson found her jacket that she'd left at the office and had it cleaned and pressed as she'd left an Easter egg Reese's in the pocket. She invited him to spend the night at her place that night and he accepted, saying they could watch a documentary. Reagan said she'd feel weird making out to that, so they agreed to do that right away.

### Familial

His grandfather ran the cultural center out of the basement of the high school back at his home.

When he was 12, his father stole his identity to support the kids he had with three different women from three different tribes.

## Career

He is the co-curator of the Minishonka Cultural Center and Northeast Regional Historical Exhibition Museum.

## Notes and Trivia

* He went to Dartmouth for his undergraduate degree and then did a dual graduate program at his tribal college.
* He used to be a carpenter.
* He loves Halloween.

## Appearances

 **#02** | "The New Curator"
 **#03** | "Aunt Sue"

## References

1. ↑ The New Curator, 2x02
2. ↑ Land Back, 2x04
3. ↑ Halloween, 2x06
4. ↑ Firefighters Pancake Breakfast, 2x07
5. ↑ Election, 2x08
6. ↑ The New Curator, 2x02
7. ↑ Land Back, 2x04
8. ↑ Adirondack S3, 2x05
9. ↑ Firefighters Pancake Breakfast, 2x07
10. ↑ The New Curator, 2x02
11. ↑ Land Back, 2x04
12. ↑ Halloween, 2x06