-Isms: Views on life in rural America

I had to chuckle, Sunday, during one of our family get-togethers, when several of us mentioned we would like to be home by 7 p.m.

Why? “Yellowstone.”

I was late to the “Yellowstone” bandwagon. Season one had wrapped and Shelly Mlnarik was telling me about the series. I binge watched it in a day and was hooked. Then, Scott watched an episode and was hooked, so we restarted the series. Then, the wait for season two began. Ever since, we’ve been loyal viewers.

While I appreciate the actors who comprise the Dutton family, what draws me in, as a writer and history enthusiast, are the storylines, especially those mirroring truth.

What lessons do we learn from “Yellowstone?”

For me, the most glaring lesson is the very basis of the show: owning land and fighting to keep possession. Montana - or at least the romanticized idea of Montana - represents the great American West, pure prairie, the final frontier, where homesteaders trudged across this country to settle. It’s pristine and beautiful, unadulterated Big Sky country.

Montana, especially the Bozeman area, is experiencing an influx of out-of-staters who are staking a new claim. Housing costs have skyrocketed in the sleepy college town that’s home to Montana State University.

One of the main storylines the past two seasons is the struggle John Dutton faces to keep his sprawling ranch from becoming chunked by new development, including an airport, shopping areas, entertainment venues, recreational opportunities and casinos. The fine line between the Dutton’s fictional battle and reality isn’t blurred. Montana may become the new “it” spot, like Aspen or Vail or Jackson Hole, and, if so, may lose its ambiance, ranchers may lose their livelihoods. While growth is welcome, it’s coming at a rate that may stifle rural living.

A second lesson that stands out is the plight of Native American women who are murdered, as evidenced in a season three storyline, when Monica assists tribal chairman Thomas Rainwater catch a killer after several young girls disappear from the reservation. In Montana, Native Americans are four times more likely to go missing, according to the state’s missing and murdered indigenous people’s database.

Recently, I watched “Murdered and Missing in Montana,” a documentary telling the story of three Indigenous girls who disappeared, under strange circumstances, and conflicting help from local and tribal police. It’s eyeopening and worth the watch.

I think most families are dysfunctional to a point - and I have a koozie proving the Schindler family puts the “fun” in dysfunctional (family reunion gifts, ha!) - and the Duttons aren’t any different. Still, I think love motivates most of the fictional clan, even if some of their actions are, at times, overly melodramatic.

And, one of the underlying themes of the show is the never-ending search for the American dream and how to maintain it. There’s a Gatsby-esque vibe to the series, except we’re not in West Egg, we’re in the west, and instead of a white linen suit paired with a pastel button-down shirt, main characters wear Wranglers and cowboy hats, causing female fans to swoon. Nothing wrong with that.

If you’re a “Yellowstone” fan, what lessons do you think the show teaches?