The series is based on Tony Hillerman's "Leaphorn & Chee" series of novels and has an all-Native American writing room. Created by Graham Roland (Jack Ryan), Vince Calandra (Sharp Objects) is the showrunner, and Chris Eyre (Smoke Signals) is the pilot director. The three will executive produce with George R.R. Martin, Robert Redford, and starring Zahn McClarnon. The story takes place in a remote outpost on the Navajo reservation near the Monument Valley in 1971. Inspector Joe Leaphorn (Zahn McClarnon), a tribal law enforcement officer, is overwhelmed by a series of seemingly unrelated cases. The closer he gets to the truth, the more he reveals his past trauma. Leaphorn and new police officer Jim Chee (Kiowa Gordon) investigate these cases together, and Chee also has some grudges on the reservation when he was young that need to be resolved. Together, the two battle the forces of evil, each other, and their own inner demons on their road to redemption.