If you haven’t yet heard of this young, Indigenous actress yet, you will.
She is vibrant and charming and most of all, talented. Her name is Kiawenti:io.
At only 13, Kiawenti:io—pronounced gya-won-dee-yo—has expressed and explored her creativity through singing and the visual arts but as of late, her greatest acclaim has come from acting. If you recognize her, it could be that you remember her winning performance of “My Baby Girl” at the 2018 Cornwall Ribfest Idol competition. But it’s more likely because you’ve watched her play Ka’kwet, a feisty and resilient Mi’kmaq girl, in Season 3 of Anne with an E.
To land her first-ever acting job, Kiawenti:io, whose name means “Nice Morning” in Kanien’keha, deftly beat out 230 other people for the latest and last season of the CBC and Netflix series inspired by Lucy Maud Montgomery’s classic novel.
“There is an energetic charisma and undeniable intelligence to Kiawenti:io that aligns so perfectly with the character of Ka’kwet,” said the show’s executive producer Miranda de Pencier in a statement at the time.
In taking on the role as the show’s first Indigenous character, and in sharing her experiences openly, the young Akwesasne actress and CCVS student became a role model for many young aspiring artists.
Fans weren’t the only ones noticing Kiawenti:io’s rising star. Tracey Deer, a member of the Anne with E writing team and producer of the widely acclaimed dramatic comedy series Mohawk Girls, also took notice of the young actress’s work ethic and talent.
Tracey asked her to audition for her latest project, Beans. The feature-length film shines the spotlight on the 78-day standoff in 1990 that saw the Mohawk communities of Kanesatake and Kahnawake defend their ancestral lands against a proposed condo development and golf course expansion.
Photo: Sebastien Raymond/EMA films
In the film, the story of the crisis is told from the point-of-view of Beans, a 12-year old girl from Kahnawake who came of age during the turmoil. Through her lens, viewers will experience an angle of the Oka Crisis they may not have considered or seen before. Due to the graphic and violent nature of the script, Kiawenti:io’s parents, Barbara and Corey Tarbell, only let her read certain parts for the audition.
“I knew it was going to be rough because I knew what it was all about,” said the young actress. “But since I’d always heard the stories, it was also easy to embrace the script.”
Ultimately, she landed the part last fall and in a rare accomplishment in the film industry, will appear in every single scene in the historical drama.
“Kiawentiio has everything one looks for in an actor; she’s thoughtful and sensitive, very grounded and connected to her emotions, incredibly smart and fiercely courageous,” says writer and director Tracey Deer. “I’m so grateful that she chose to take on this very challenging role. It was a massive undertaking and she wowed me every single day. I think audiences will feel the same when they see her.”
The film is currently in post-production with a release date yet to be announced.
“[Beans] is pretty sensitive in the beginning,” Kiawenti:io says in reflecting on the role. “Through her experiences and the people she meets, she changes and grows.”
How apt for her to say, especially as she is growing up too, right before our eyes.
Update 26/04/21: Listen to Kiawentiio recently released album here: https://bit.ly/3hV6jEM
