TikTok unveiled its 2024 Indigenous TikTok Visionary Voices list to celebrate National Indigenous History Month.
This year’s Visionary Voices list honours nine Indigenous creative small business owners and industry disruptors. They are making an impact by using their creativity to celebrate, honour and share Indigenous heritage through music, unique apparel, cultural insights, and more.
As TikTok continues to be the go-to place for fans to discover new artists, makers and entertainers while connecting and learning together, TikTok is thrilled to showcase the work of these honourees.
Meet the 2024 #IndigenousTikTok Visionary Voices.
@kadlun: Braden Kadlun is a creator who is originally from Kugluktuk, Nunavut. He shares a wide variety of content surrounding his sobriety journey, culture, food and slices of life, often with his mother. Through his candid conversations about the journey of healing and snippets of everyday life, Braden uses his platform to educate and celebrate his culture and chronicle his life.
@resilientinuk: Vanessa Brousseau is an artist and storyteller who began creating content in 2020 bringing light to Indigenous issues, inspired by and in honour of her missing sister, Pamela Holopaeinen. Through her TikTok content, public speaking and the creations she makes through her business, Resilient Inuk Creations, Vanessa advocates for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls and Two-Spirit.
@shinanova: Shina Nova is an Inuk TikTok creator who throat-signs with her mom. They focus on spreading awareness about the rights within the Indigenous communities as well as sharing the beauty of Inuit culture. As a creator whose purpose-driven content strives to raise awareness about their culture and celebrate its vibrancy, Shina was also named to TikTok’s first-ever Change Maker’s Program earlier this year.
@lakeeyshamarie: Lakeeysha Marie is a Plains Cree poet, artist and dancer. She expresses her love for her people through her spoken word poems and implements her language into her work. Sharing her art, Lakeeysha’s creativity and work offers reflections of love and hope for her community, as she uses her voice to encourage people to connect with their roots.
@shawneekish: Shawnee Kish, a Two-Spirit individual from Toronto, Ontario, utilizes TikTok as a platform to share her life, family and music journey to inspire and connect with others. Through her content, Shawnee opens up about her personal experiences, offering a glimpse into her world and providing motivation for those who follow her on TikTok.
@watso_ : Xavier Watso, Abenaki from Odanak, is a passionate advocate and cultural commentator. He’s also played an important role in the preservation of Indigenous cultures as the Master of Ceremonies at the Odanak and Wolinak powwows and hosted two of the largest Indigenous festivals in Quebec. Xavier’s content is a reflection of a longstanding dedication to preserving and celebrating Indigenous cultures.
@bernicekootooclarke: Bernice Kootoo Clarke, raised in Iqaluit, Nunavut, immersed herself in her Inuit heritage, speaking Inuktitut fluently before learning English. In 2012, she founded Uasau Soap Inc., specializing in all-natural bath and body products infused with Inuit teachings, which can now be found all over the country.
@smudgetheblades: Harlan Kingfisher is a creator from Sturgeon Lake First Nation, Saskatchewan who is the owner and CEO of the first Indigenous hockey clothing brand on Turtle Island. With sales from Smudge the Blades, Harlan helps Indigenous youth play hockey by covering fees and hockey equipment because he knows how hard it is to play the game, especially for First Nations youth.
@taalrumiq: Taalrumiq (Christina King) is an Inuvialuit and Gwich’in fashion designer, artist, speaker and cultural educator. She grew up on the shores of the Arctic Ocean in Tuktoyaktuk, NWT. In her content and across all facets of her work, Taalrumiq draws upon her background in human ecology and education, combined with traditional knowledge and lived experience, sharing her culture with the world through art, fashion, advocacy, Indigenizing trends and original content creation.
TikTok Canada said it acknowledges and celebrates Indigenous Peoples’ traditional and contemporary roots to their lands, and is grateful to share the space. TikTok Canada thanks Indigenous creators, artists and small business owners for being a part of the TikTok community, and for trusting the platform as a space to share stories, knowledge, and culture.
