HBO’s It: Welcome to Derry Rewrites Controversial Native Scene — Wabanaki Nation Helps Set It Right
HBO’s It: Welcome to Derry expands a brief Indigenous-related scene from It: Chapter 2 into a fuller storyline by working with the Wabanaki nation and Native collaborators, and the show includes Native actors and historical consultation to make that part of Derry’s history more grounded and visible.
- Background: the Chapter 2 scene and criticism
- What the series changed and why
- Collaboration with the Wabanaki and John Bear Mitchell
- Credits, cast notes, and where to watch
Background: the Chapter 2 scene and criticism
In It: Chapter 2, a brief scene has Mike Hanlon mention a fictional Shokopiwah tribe and a ritual that keeps Pennywise at bay. That short sequence did not come from Stephen King’s original interludes, and some viewers and commentators criticized it as an underdeveloped use of Indigenous spirituality. For example, one of the movie’s moments is linked in the scene archive as one scene. Moreover, the scene drew discussion and pushback from commentators, including coverage in New Republic and opinion pieces such as those from the Montana Kaimin, which also offered criticism.
What the series changed and why
The creators of It: Welcome to Derry reworked that idea rather than simply repeating it. Instead of a single throwaway line, the show expands on the Indigenous element by centering it with actual Native perspectives and personnel. Consequently, the Shokopiwah concept was informed by real Wabanaki history and modern presence, so the material feels more rooted in local tradition and fact.
Direct words from the cast
“It’s a beautiful opportunity to expand on the King universe, because undergirding a lot of the stories is the land,” says Kimberly Norris Guerrero, who plays Rose on the show. She also noted the living nature of that history: “The Wabanaki nation has been there for thousands of years. So it was really quite fascinating and important to go into Wabanaki history, to work with our Elder John Bear Mitchell. It was a deep dive into something that was very culturally relevant and based on historical fact. And it’s not something that used to be, but it’s something that is and something that will be in the future.”
Collaboration with the Wabanaki and John Bear Mitchell
The show’s creators consulted with members of the Wabanaki nation — an alliance of the Mi’kmaq, Maliseet, Passamaquoddy, Penobscot, and Abenaki — to shape the Shokopiwah material. They also worked with Penobscot Nation member and University of Maine professor John Bear Mitchell for cultural guidance and consultation.
Additionally, the production brought Native actors into roles representing the fictional tribe and included real Indigenous names in the end credits for some episodes, as noted on coverage at The Popverse. Viewers who watch the end credits closely may spot those names, and the show even linked to some traditional names and practices in its promotional and credit material. For example, one related Instagram post with credit details is available here on Instagram.
Credits, cast notes, and where to watch
Kimberly Norris Guerrero appears in the series as Rose, a local business owner with ties to Derry’s deeper history. The production emphasizes the land as an active element in King’s stories, and the show’s Indigenous storyline was shaped with living Wabanaki voices and scholars.
It: Welcome to Derry airs weekly on HBO and HBO Max. The series credits list and consultation acknowledgments reflect the Wabanaki collaboration and Native participants included in the production.
