5 TikTokers to follow for National Indigenous History Month
CBC | Posted: June 21, 2023 5:41 PM | Last Updated: June 21, 2023
Their thoughts on Indigenous joy, advice for the next generation and more
June is National Indigenous History Month, a time to recognize the rich history, heritage, resilience and diversity of Indigenous peoples from coast to coast to coast. To celebrate, we asked five TikTokers to tell us what Indigenous joy means to them.
From sharing humour, laughter and stories to working on hides and building drums, their answers show the breadth of joy and celebration deeply woven into their communities. They also shared advice for their next generation and other Indigenous video creators to check out.
Braden Kadlun Johnston | @kadlun (he/him/his)
Inuk from the community of Kugluktuk, Nunavut
What makes you joyful?
I find joy in the hope for a better future. When I participate with and watch all these amazing grassroots Indigenous organizations across Canada strive for a safer society for our people, I am filled with joy and hope that one day our people will no longer have to fight for recognition and security.
I find joy in the hope for a better future. When I participate with and watch all these amazing grassroots Indigenous organizations across Canada strive for a safer society for our people, I am filled with joy and hope that one day our people will no longer have to fight for recognition and security.
What advice do you have for the next generation?
Learn your language, your history, and your cultural practices. Listen to your elders and knowledge keepers. Be proud of who you are and where you come from. You are the perfect manifestation of your ancestors' resilience and strength. They overcame the impossible so you could be here today.
Learn your language, your history, and your cultural practices. Listen to your elders and knowledge keepers. Be proud of who you are and where you come from. You are the perfect manifestation of your ancestors' resilience and strength. They overcame the impossible so you could be here today.
How do you describe your TikTok account to someone who has never seen it?
My social media account covers just about it all. It has evolved into an online journal of sorts. Where I share with my mother the history of the Inuit and who we are. Indigenous issues, both contemporary and historical. My journey of sobriety and how I maintain it. As well, I sometimes share fun skits, either by myself or with my mother Hovak.
My social media account covers just about it all. It has evolved into an online journal of sorts. Where I share with my mother the history of the Inuit and who we are. Indigenous issues, both contemporary and historical. My journey of sobriety and how I maintain it. As well, I sometimes share fun skits, either by myself or with my mother Hovak.
Is there another Indigenous social media creator you wish everyone was following, and why?
My mother Hovak is an amazing creator. She not only shares all of her adventures across the North but all about the Inuit and her art and cultural projects as well. She is the epitome of resilience. She survived residential school and through sheer will overcame all odds and has built a beautiful loving family alongside my father. Together, my family has broken cycles and healed generations of trauma. You can find her @hovakj on both TikTok and Instagram!
My mother Hovak is an amazing creator. She not only shares all of her adventures across the North but all about the Inuit and her art and cultural projects as well. She is the epitome of resilience. She survived residential school and through sheer will overcame all odds and has built a beautiful loving family alongside my father. Together, my family has broken cycles and healed generations of trauma. You can find her @hovakj on both TikTok and Instagram!
Willow Allen | @willow.allen (she/her)
Inuvik, Northwest Territories
What makes you joyful?
Spending time with my family and being out on traditional Inuvialuit land. I have so many joyful memories out a my cabin with my family partaking in our Inuvialuit culture and teachings.
Spending time with my family and being out on traditional Inuvialuit land. I have so many joyful memories out a my cabin with my family partaking in our Inuvialuit culture and teachings.
What advice do you have for the next generation?
Embrace who you are and learn our culture from our elders. Do your best to keep your culture alive and find ways to make it a part of your life today.
Embrace who you are and learn our culture from our elders. Do your best to keep your culture alive and find ways to make it a part of your life today.
How do you describe your TikTok account to someone who has never seen it?
I love to share my culture and life growing up in the Arctic, as well as married life and modelling.
I love to share my culture and life growing up in the Arctic, as well as married life and modelling.
Is there another Indigenous social media creator you wish everyone was following, and why?
Shina Nova shares about Inuit culture and I think more Inuit should share their stories, knowledge and experiences as well!
Shina Nova shares about Inuit culture and I think more Inuit should share their stories, knowledge and experiences as well!
Sherry Mckay | @sherry.mckay (she/her)
Sagkeeng Fort Alexander First Nation
What makes you joyful?
Representation, makes me joyful, and knowing our youth have Indigenous role models.
Representation, makes me joyful, and knowing our youth have Indigenous role models.
What advice do you have for the next generation?
Live your life unapologetically, be confident in yourself even through failure, experience as much as you can, be kind to people and always be kind to yourselves.
Live your life unapologetically, be confident in yourself even through failure, experience as much as you can, be kind to people and always be kind to yourselves.
How do you describe your TikTok account to someone who has never seen it?
It's fun, there is a variety of funny videos and always something that will make you laugh.
It's fun, there is a variety of funny videos and always something that will make you laugh.
Is there another Indigenous social media creator you wish everyone was following, and why?
I really enjoy Gabe Kematch is so entertaining, he does comedy, dances, and always makes me laugh with his skits and how he indigenizes them.
I really enjoy Gabe Kematch is so entertaining, he does comedy, dances, and always makes me laugh with his skits and how he indigenizes them.
deadlynim they are so hilarious and clever I love watching their videos.
mr.christ0pher is extremely talented in his way of storytelling, his editing and media production is a craft. Love it.
Jayroy Makokis | @jayroymakokis (he/him)
Saddle Lake Cree Nation
What makes you joyful?
When thinking about what makes me joyful, many things come to mind. Being on the land where I can hunt, or fish. Working on hides and building drums. Spending quality time with my friends and family. Having the opportunity to learn my language, or attend ceremonies that were almost lost to my ancestors.
When thinking about what makes me joyful, many things come to mind. Being on the land where I can hunt, or fish. Working on hides and building drums. Spending quality time with my friends and family. Having the opportunity to learn my language, or attend ceremonies that were almost lost to my ancestors.
What advice do you have for the next generation?
If I were to give any advice to the next generation it would be to spend time with your elders while they're still here, take the opportunity to sit and listen. Utilize any resources to learn and preserve your language, your culture. Practise your treaty rights, show the value and importance of sustainable living. Be proud of who you are, and be kind to one another!
If I were to give any advice to the next generation it would be to spend time with your elders while they're still here, take the opportunity to sit and listen. Utilize any resources to learn and preserve your language, your culture. Practise your treaty rights, show the value and importance of sustainable living. Be proud of who you are, and be kind to one another!
How do you describe your TikTok account to someone who's never seen it?
My content is diverse. I enjoy educating people about Indigenous knowledge, culture, giving positive words of encouragement, activism, lifestyle, family, hunting and more. I use humour and am true to who I am with my content. What you see is what you get, I am true to myself.
My content is diverse. I enjoy educating people about Indigenous knowledge, culture, giving positive words of encouragement, activism, lifestyle, family, hunting and more. I use humour and am true to who I am with my content. What you see is what you get, I am true to myself.
Is there another Indigenous social media creator you wish everyone was following and why?
If I were to recommend another social media content creator it would be Decembers_wolf of TikTok. His content focuses heavily on Cree culture and language by helping to preserve the language. Utilizing morphology, he explains the words, how they're formed and their relationship to other words in the Cree language by analyzing root words, prefixes and suffixes to better explain their meaning. On top of language, the cultural, life and historical teaching makes his account very wholesome. He stays out of the drama and teaches kindness to our people.
If I were to recommend another social media content creator it would be Decembers_wolf of TikTok. His content focuses heavily on Cree culture and language by helping to preserve the language. Utilizing morphology, he explains the words, how they're formed and their relationship to other words in the Cree language by analyzing root words, prefixes and suffixes to better explain their meaning. On top of language, the cultural, life and historical teaching makes his account very wholesome. He stays out of the drama and teaches kindness to our people.
Chelazon Leroux | @chelazonleroux (he/she/they)
Buffalo River Dene Nation/Fond Du Lac First Nation
What makes you joyful?
Being around community, both queer and Indigenous makes me feel at home with myself, being able to share humour, laughter, and stories
Being around community, both queer and Indigenous makes me feel at home with myself, being able to share humour, laughter, and stories
What advice do you have for the next generation?
I hope that whatever I have done in my career and life will have left you with more acceptance, opportunity, and freedom. I hope that whatever it is you choose to do in life, it brings joy and growth in lessons and life experience, regardless of how challenging it may be. I want you to take whatever experiences you've been through, good or bad, and use them as knowledge to help the next generation build an even better and more accepting world.
I hope that whatever I have done in my career and life will have left you with more acceptance, opportunity, and freedom. I hope that whatever it is you choose to do in life, it brings joy and growth in lessons and life experience, regardless of how challenging it may be. I want you to take whatever experiences you've been through, good or bad, and use them as knowledge to help the next generation build an even better and more accepting world.
How do you describe your TikTok account to someone who has never seen it?
Comedic, queer, and educational. My page is the space where I can create and tell stories about my people and our hardships, as well as our beauty and humour.
Comedic, queer, and educational. My page is the space where I can create and tell stories about my people and our hardships, as well as our beauty and humour.
Is there another Indigenous social media creator you wish everyone was following, and why?
Sherry McKay, comedic Indigenous icon from Winnipeg, she is the first native content creator I saw who inspired me to be unapologetically Indigenous.
Sherry McKay, comedic Indigenous icon from Winnipeg, she is the first native content creator I saw who inspired me to be unapologetically Indigenous.