Why Yellowstone’s Mo Brings Plenty Relit The Sage In Chief Rainwater’s Office – Looper

Mo Brings Plenty, who plays Mo on “Yellowstone,” sat down with The New York Times to talk about his presence on the series and why it’s so important to him that they get Native American representation right. In fact, over the course of the conversation, Brings Plenty pointed out an instance from the show as a key example of this. In a Season 3 episode of “Yellowstone,” fans might recall that Mo lights some sage in Chief Rainwater’s (Gil Birmingham) office prior to a meeting with lawyer Angela Blue Thunder (Q’orianka Kilcher), only to have the legal eagle immediately put out the sage when she arrives for the appointment. Naturally, Mo then re-lights the sage after she leaves.

“In our culture, we use these items to cleanse the space and protect the mind,” Brings Plenty explained. “But burning sage and sweet grass has become a fad and has been culturally misappropriated.” The actor went on to clarify the importance of such practices for his people, saying that they “are sacred to us.”

Though “Yellowstone” focuses primarily on the Dutton family, as led by patriarch John Dutton (Kevin Costner), those who are part of the many First Nations spread all over North America will no doubt appreciate Brings Plenty’s dedication to their shared cultural values and traditions.