‘Reservation Dogs’ star Dallas Goldtooth’s heart still belongs to Minneapolis and activism

Dallas Goldtooth has followed up the overnight success of “Reservation Dogs” with a juicy role in Apple TV’s “The Last Frontier,” playing a U.S. marshal chasing escaped prisoners across the Alaskan terrain.

But the actor and writer isn’t about to go Hollywood.

His affection for the Midwest and lack of pretension were both on display last Wednesday when he stopped by Pow Wow Grounds, a 10-minute walk from the home he used to share with Native American buddies and a block away from the Minneapolis American Indian Center where he met his future wife.

“I hate the idea of moving to LA,” said Goldtooth, who lives in Chicago where he’s helping raise five kids. “Our dream is to come back here.”

When word leaked that Goldtooth was back in his old neighborhood, fans began to gather outside, hoping their idol would agree to a few pictures.

Despite being on a tight schedule, Goldtooth obliged. While posing with a life-size cutout of “Dogs” costar Zahn McClarnon urging people to vote, he joked that his friend was actually a lot shorter, then bent the image at the bottom.

“I’m a very open person,” Goldtooth said, sporting tattoos around both wrists that were inked in Uptown. “For a long time, I used to post a lot of pictures on Instagram with my kids. But once ‘Reservation Dogs’ came out, I had to stop. You don’t know who is watching or what information you are divulging. But in person, I try to be as accessible as I can be.“

Goldtooth, 42, who grew up on Sioux Indian reservations and in Minneapolis, aspired to be a teacher of the Dakota language and traditions, studying first at the University of California, Berkeley and then transferring to the University of Minnesota.

About 10 years ago, he became a chief organizer for the Indigenous Environmental Network, leading the fight against the Keystone Pipeline.

The work was hard. To get some relief, he cofounded the 1491s, a comedy sketch troupe that made videos and performed in small venues across the Midwest.

“That was my outlet, man,” he said. “If I didn’t have that, I would have gone crazy.”

One of its members was Sterlin Harjo, who created both “Reservation Dogs” and “The Lowdown” for FX.

Harjo recruited his old pal to join him both in the “Dogs” writing room and on the screen, where he played the spirit of an unknown warrior who died during battle when his horse tripped over a gopher hole.

The show earned an Emmy nomination for outstanding comedy series in 2024 and served as proof that wider audiences tune in for Native American stories.

“There can sometimes be a sanctimonious approach to how we are portrayed,” said Goldtooth, wearing socks he got from a Comanche Nation fair in Oklahoma and jade earrings he bought at a powwow in Rapid City. “We took every opportunity we could to break that down.”

Goldtooth also appeared on the sitcom “Rutherford Falls” and in the movie “Rez Ball.” But his most prominent part since “Dogs” is Hutch, the right-hand man of a U.S. Marshal Frank Remnick (Jason Clarke) tasked with leading a dangerous manhunt.

One of the most memorable moments from the first episode has Goldtooth and Clarke engaging in a fight scene that wouldn’t be out of place in a Tom Cruise thriller.

The chilly weather in Montreal, which doubled for Alaska, was not a problem for Goldtooth. The biggest challenge was being away from family. The six-month shoot last year was the longest he had ever been away from them.

“It’s essential to me to stay present in my kids’ life,” he said.

He also is not about to give up his role as an activist. In 2023, at the height of “Dogs’” popularity, he was arrested in Washington, D.C., during a protest calling for the release of Leonard Peltier, convicted in 1975 of killing two FBI agents.

Starring in a critically acclaimed series is fine, but Goldtooth seems more proud of the fact that Peltier, who was pardoned by President Joe Biden in early 2025, is a fan of the show and that his sister made him some moccasins.

At the coffeeshop, he warmly greeted Minneapolis activist Talia Molinar who also was arrested in D.C.

Goldtooth is clearly enjoying some of the trappings of showbiz success.

He marveled over his Four Seasons room that Apple TV had secured for him during this publicity stop. But he admits that acting gigs are hard to come by. He’s using his downtime for speaking engagements and is preparing to temporarily take over the “All My Relations” podcast this fall. It’s based in Seattle, but Goldtooth hopes to record at least one episode in Minneapolis.

He’s also eager to reunite with the “Dogs” team.