The inclusion of Kayce Dutton's Native American wife Monica and their life on the Broken Rock Reservation introduces minor diversity that feels organic to the rural setting, touching lightly on Native issues like displacement and murdered indigenous women without turning into lectures or driving the plot toward social justice activism. Instead, the show portrays patriarch John Dutton as an unapologetic conservative force of nature, prioritizing entertainment through high-stakes violence and family loyalty over any identity politics.

A pre-premiere casting controversy arose when Native actors criticized non-Native Kelsey Asbille's role as Monica, calling it a 'failure of diversity' and urging a boycott—ironically highlighting the show's resistance to heavy-handed DEI mandates rather than embracing them. Creator Taylor Sheridan rejects simplistic political labels, and Season 1's massive popularity stems from its apolitical focus on gripping storytelling, free from progressive intrusions that plague modern media, making it a refreshing escape into unvarnished American mythos.