Deer Lady

*This page is about the episode. For the character, see Deer Lady*

**Deer Lady** is the third episode of the third season and 21st episode overall of *Reservation Dogs*.

## Synopsis

Deer Lady sees a glimpse of her past while helping Bear.

## Plot

***The following episode contains depictions of Native Boarding School abduction and abuse, viewer discretion is advised.***

Deer Lady enters a shop.

In the bathroom, she cleans her antlers and checks herself out in the mirror. When one of her antlers breaks, she gets a flashback.

*Young Deer Lady runs through the woods.*

Deer Lady curses and keeps cleaning.

Deer Lady drives down the road.

*Young Deer Lady rides in the back of a truck with several other Native children. As they pull up to a building, church bells ring in the distance.*

*Deer Lady and the other children are led to the school. Sister Jenson stops them and talks to James Minor, who tells her none of the children seem to speak English. Jenson leads them into the school.*

*A Kiowa boy says they won't get out of there as a nun buzzes his hair off. As he stands up, another boy takes his place and his hair is also cut off as Deer Lady watches.*

Deer Lady stops at a diner.

Inside the diner, Deer Lady says she can't decide, so she decides to order an apple pie and a cherry pie. When the waitress offers her a slice of each, she says she wants two whole pies, not slices.

*A nun puts a spoonful of unappetizing food on each child's place. When she puts some on Deer Lady's plate, Deer Lady asks in Kiowa what it is. From above, Sister Jenson points to her and yells. Another nun comes up behind her and shoves her face into her plate.*

*At night, Koda Littlebird sneaks out of his bed and walks over to Deer Lady. He tells her to stay away from Sister Jenson, whom he says has a bad heart. Deer Lady asks how long he's been there and he tells her one year. She asks if he ever gets to go home and he says he doesn't have a home. All of his family are dead. He asks if she has a family and she says she has a grandfather. He says no one leaves unless they die. But they can't stop them from smiling, so that's what they do. They smile at each other. When they hear footsteps approaching, Koda runs back to his bed and they pretend to sleep. A boy gets pulled out of bed and taken away.*

*James beats the child behind a closed door.*

Deer Lady watches Bear hold the door for an older woman and then enter the diner himself. He asks the guy at the counter if they had a charger he could borrow because he doesn't have money to buy one. As he turns away, the waitress offers him a drink and he orders some water. Deer Lady gets his attention and tells him to come sit with her. He moves to her table and introduces himself, but she already knows his name. He's confused and asks if his mom sent her. She didn't, but she tells Bear not to question it. The waitress delivers the two pies and Deer Lady offers him some. Deer Lady asks Bear if he's a good man and he says he tries to be. Deer Lady says there's usually a reason if she crosses paths with someone. She takes her book and drops it on the floor. Bear leans down to get it for her, allowing him to see her hooves. It makes him anxious and Deer Lady tells him to have some pie because he doesn't look well. He asks if she's there to kill him and she tells him he reminds her of a boy she once knew.

*Deer Lady and all the other children are lined up at the feet of their beds. From his bed, Koda signals to her not to look them in the eyes when they're speaking. As Sister Jenson passes one of the boys, she smacks him on his back. When she gets to Deer Lady, she takes her face in her hand, forcing Deer Lady to look at her, then smacks her on her face.*

*Koda, Deer Lady, and the other children work outdoors. They see James Minor, Sister, Jenson, Sister Stitt, and another nun talking nearby and wonder what they're talking about. James says he knows a lot about "savages." Deer Lady asks Koda about James and she says he's one to stay away from. He's the most evil, a wolf. Nearby, two men are digging a grave near several other graves, marked by crosses.*

*The children are forced to sing "Jesus Loves Me."*

Deer Lady eats her pie. Bear's surprised she's real. He heard of her his whole life, but he thought it was just a story to keep the Uncles in line. She says some Uncles need more than stories to keep them in line and that's who she visits. He asks if she kills women too and she says she's killed some bad ones. She calls for the check and asks Bear what he's doing on there. He says he's kind of lost and she offers to take him home. But first, she has to make a stop.

Bear notices the broken antlers on the dashboard as Deer Lady drives. She pulls off onto a property that says it belongs to James R. Minor. She tells Bear he can wait in the truck. He's surprised she's not going to kill him. She tells him she'll be right back and gets out. Once she's gone, he plugs his phone in.

Deer Lady walks to the door and knocks. James Minor answers the door.

*Deer Lady wakes up and sees Sister Jenson dragging Koda out of bed and out of the room. Once they're gone, she goes to the door and opens it. She can hear screaming in the distance.*

James invites Deer Lady to come in out of the cold and offers her a drink.

With his phone finally charged enough to turn on, Bear gets many notifications all at once. He steps out of the truck and calls his mom. He apologizes to her and says he got lost for real this time. He says he'll be home soon and he'll explain everything to her.

James brings Deer Lady a glass of water. He says she caught him being nostalgic and looking at old pictures. It's all we leave behind, pictures. It's good that they don't have pictures of everything. He doesn't get many visitors anymore. She's young and he thinks it must be strange for her to see such an old man.

*Koda is dragged into the room where James is waiting while Deer Lady hides and watches. As she shuts the door, Sister Jenson turns and sees Deer Lady watching. Deer Lady pushes a cart into her and runs. She leaves the school and runs into the woods. Sister Jenson chases her. Deer Lady calls out for help as she falls in the woods. A doe appears and asks who she's running from. She explains that she's running from all of them and the school. The doe offers to help her and she says she wants the help. She goes toward the doe and screams.*

*Two men search for Sister Jenson. They haven't heard her in a while. They think Deer Lady is long gone and will die out in the woods. Suddenly, they find Sister Jenson dead.*

James tells Deer Lady he has one son, who is pathetic. There's a whole life in the pictures he has. Deer Lady comes up behind him as he says he wasn't a good father. He was barely around and started drinking. She steps up behind him as she remembers the school and Koda. She repeatedly stabs him in the back.

Derek Lady walks back out to the car, covered in James's blood. As she walks, she changes from anxious to confident. She gets in the car and Bear asks if she's good. She says she is and he is as well. She pulls out.

Next to James on the table is a picture of James with the nuns and all the abducted Native children, including Deer Lady.

Deer Lady drives into Okern and pulls out in front of Bear's home. Bear thanks Deer Lady and she thanks him. He goes to get out, but then stops and asks if she killed someone at that house. She tells him she killed a human wolf. She tells Bear he's going to be okay. He doesn't have to worry about becoming his dad because his mom saw to that. And he should keep smiling because they can't take that from him. He gets out and Deer Lady leaves. Mose and Mekko watch her leave and ask Bear if she's his new girlfriend. He tells them it was Deer Lady, but they won't believe him. They welcome him home and tell him his mom's going to whoop his butt.

*Koda tells Deer Lady he dreamed about going fishing. He doesn't know how he'll go, but asks if she'll go with him. She says yes, so he wants to plan it.*

Deer Lady drives away.

A gravestone reads, "Koda Littlebird, killed by human wolves."

***To learn more about the US Indian Boarding School policy visit boardingschoolhealing.org***

## Cast

### Guest Starring

* Kaniehtiio Horn as Deer Lady
* John Getz as James Minor
* Haley Sims as Sister Jenson

### Co-Starring

* Lil Mike as Mose
* Funnybone as Mekko
* Georgeanne Growingthunder as Young Deer Lady
* Michael Podemski as Koda
* Alex Mortensen as Young Mr. James Minor
* Kara Rainer as Nun 1
* Paige McGarvin as Sister Stitt
* Ike Williams as Kiowa Boy
* Caitlin Taylor as Waitress
* Paul T. Taylor as Counter Man
* Stephen Brodie as Man 1
* Timothy McKinney as Man 2
* Aykeemah as Doe (voice)

## Notes and Trivia

* The book Deer Lady is reading is "I Remember" by Joe Brainard.