KIAWENTIIO

Indigenous actress, singer and artist Kiawenti:io Tarbell was born on April 28, 2006 to a Mohawk family in Akwesasne, Ontario, Canada and is a member of the Mohawk Nation of Akwesasne. The First Nation actress is widely known only by her mononymous first name, Kiawentiio, which translates to "Nice Morning" and is pronounced "Gya-wuhn-dee-yo." As a young girl, she grew up on Cornwall Island, part of the Akwesasne Reservation, in the middle of the St. Lawrence River, right on the US border. She received her education at the Akwesasne Freedom School and at the Cornwall Collegiate and Vocational School, one of the oldest schools in Canada.