Emmy-nominated Native American filmmaker Sterlin Harjo will be the commencement speaker at this weekend’s Fort Lewis College 2026 graduation ceremony.
Harjo, a member of the Seminole Nation of Oklahoma and a Muscogee descendant, is recognized for credits including “The Lowdown” (2025), “Rez Ball” (2024), “Reservation Dogs” (2021–2023) and “Mekko” (2015). He is a founding member of native sketch comedy troupe The 1491s.
He was also the recipient of the 2026 Peabody Trailblazer Award, an honor given to “visionaries whose innovative storytelling styles ... impact culture and effect social change,” according to the Peabody website.
Harjo’s films have premiered at a range of film festivals, including Sundance, the Los Angeles Film Festival and the Toronto International Film Festival.
“Sterlin Harjo’s work as a storyteller speaks powerfully to identity, community, resilience, and the complicated transitions into adulthood, experiences our graduates know well,” FLC President Heather Shotton said in a news release. “We’re beyond excited to welcome someone who is deeply committed to telling Indigenous stories with authenticity and humor, and who has helped bring Native narratives to the foreground.”
The Fort Lewis College Spring 2026 commencement ceremony is scheduled for 9 a.m. Saturday at Ray Dennison Memorial Field on the Fort Lewis College campus.
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