Celebrating our #NativeFamily on TikTok

On TikTok, our #NativeFamily is a vibrant community of Indigenous creators and artists who share their stories and culture on the platform through food, music, dance, traditions and more. This Native American Heritage Month and every month, we celebrate the rich and diverse cultures of all Indigenous peoples native to this land by amplifying their voices and raising awareness about the unique challenges Indigenous communities have faced throughout history and in modern times.

This November, we're inviting the TikTok community to join us as we launch some exciting initiatives — from LIVE programming, to in-app creative effects, to non-profit community partnerships — all in celebration and support of our #NativeFamily.

Hashtags & In-App Creative Effects

From creators who educate and push for change, to small business owners making a difference, and artists spreading the culture, here's to celebrating together as one #NativeFamily.

The #NativeFamily on TikTok is a thriving and rapidly growing community that has amassed more than 3.8B views under #Indigenous; 3.6B views under #NativeTikTok; 2B views under #NativeTikToks; 1.5B views under #IndigenousDay; 666.5M views under #IndigenousTikTok; 129.6M views under #NativeFamily; and 5.9M view under #NativeOwnedBusiness.

Starting November 1, 2021 you can access stickers celebrating the culture of the Indigenous community, as well as a dedicated Discover page that will showcase boundary pushing creators, our LIVE programming schedule, and incredible organizations dedicated to the Native American community.

LIVE Programming and Music

TikTok will host LIVEs every Tuesday in November — featuring creators like @fricklefracklemarco, @beadsbycheydesigns, @nightelf44 and more — who will be streaming about Native Beadwork, Native food, and Native traditions. We'll also be debuting a Native American Heritage Month music playlist featuring new and old artists, as well as guest playlists from Native artists.

Be sure to join us on LIVE at the end of the month for our grand finale event!

Creators to watch

There are so many inspiring Indigenous creators on TikTok educating millions on the platform with their content. This Native American Heritage Month we are spotlighting some of the creators who are fostering community and making a positive impact both on and off the platform.

• @asheisgod - Asheisgod [she/her] is a queer Inuk TikTok Creator who shares her experiences as a mixed and queer individual through storytelling and personal anecdotes. Her content heavily focuses on uplifting Indigenous voices as well as calling out harmful stereotypes that still affect Indigenous people.
• @ashkiijosh - Chad Lorenzo [he/him] is a member of the Navajo tribe in the Southwest, and has been a TikTok creator for over a year now. He makes videos displaying dance, culture, language and art, and focuses on teaching and educating through music and art.
• @beadsbycheydesigns - Cheyenne [she/her], a Native American artist whose ancestry is Lumbee on her mother's side and Shoshone-Bannock on her father's side, grew up as a jingle dancer attending powwows and other Native ceremonies each weekend. She enjoys sharing her bead teachings with others to celebrate her heritage and assist in passing down her culture and tradition to future generations.
• @desertndn - Coyotl [he/him], is a professional model, influencer and activist. His content centers on raising awareness about his culture and about modern Native and Indigenous issues.
• @diamond_dog74 - Diamond Dog [they/them or she/her] is a Lipan Apache and Shoshone professional historian and generational beadworker with a passion for sharing their beadwork with people — and for teaching the true history of Indigenous people in the Western Hemisphere that is not typically taught in school. They’re also a Native Goth who loves expressing themselves through their dyed red hair and black clothes.

• @forwardlight - Nasheen Sleuth [she/they] is Diné (Navajo) from the Diné Nation located in the Southwest region of the US, and is known for her creatively funny “Auntie Máyazhí“ content on Tiktok. As Auntie Máyazhí would say, “It’s an introduction, you use it!”
• @fricklefracklemarco - Imalay [she/her] is an Afro-Indigenous, Taino creator from the island of Boriken (modern day Puerto Rico) who raises awareness about the true history of the Caribbean islands by correcting said history and helping lost souls reconnect with their Native roots.

• @geronimo.warrior - Geronimo Louie [he/him] is an Indigenous person of the Chiricahua Apache band and the Navajo nation who identifies as a “two spirit” individual (an umbrella term made by and for Indigenous peoples only). As a fashion designer and youth director for an organization called Diné Pride, Geronimo loves to educate people about respect for Indigenous peoples through both his work and his content, celebrating his people by making videos about the clothes he makes.

• @giiwedinindizhinikaaz - Giiwedin [he/him] is an Ojibwe water protector from northern Minnesota who loves to share about his culture and experiences as a Native youth. He is a college student who is a STEM major and a climate activist who hopes to see climate conversations center Indigenous peoples.
• @indigenouszane - Zane Switzer [he/him], better known as Indigenous Zane or Zane Achak Ashkii, is a 20-year-old Sunni-Muslim Indigenous person of Nahua and Otomi descent, who loves to educate people on Indigenous history; such as states named after Indigenous words, history about tribes, Indigenous languages, and more.
• @johnbarbachano - John [he/him] grew up in Alaska until he was 18 years old, spent a few years doing missionary work for Native American Reservations in Arizona after graduating high school, and currently attends college in Idaho. His content highlights his experiences as a Native person.
• @jwitchytv - Tonalmitl [she/her] is a reconnecting Indigenous TikTok creator and educator whose students convinced her to make a TikTok. She makes videos on topics that revolutionized her own perspective — including beginning her spiritual journey by connecting with Indigenous communities and becoming part of the Mexica tradition, known as Danza Azteca.
• @kararoselles - Kara Roselle Smith [she/her] is an Afro-Indigenous creator and model who uses her platform to normalize unlearning and to seek justice for the Black and Indigenous communities — including her tribe, the Chappaquiddick Wampanoag.
• @kittykatcarr - Carli [she/her] is a TikTok creator, Twitch streamer, and content creator located in Hawai'i. She is Native American, as well as Chinese and Irish, and belongs to the Gwich'in tribe — an Athabaskan-speaking, First Nations people who to this day live off the land and practice Native traditions.
• @lennybeadhandzz - Lenise Omeasoo [she/her] is a Blackfeet bead artist located out of Montana who has been creating beadwork for almost a decade. She is the owner of an accessory business called Antelope Women Designs and now uses her platform to share and teach the craft of beading.
• @lilino.e - Lilinoe [she/her] is an environmentalist who connects her Indigenous roots to her modern day lifestyle and views.
• @nativephotography - Chante’ [he/him] creates videos that are emotional, educational and informative about the Native community. He does native storytimes, sings, skits, photography and more, all with an aim to change people's lives through encouraging them to be themselves and to let their personalities shine.
• @nativewomanruns - Verna Volker [she/her] is a wife, a mother of 4 and the founder of Native Women Running, an organization that draws visibility to Native Women runners. She is an avid runner and advocate for issues related to MMIW (Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women) and Every Child Matters, and credits her Tiktok platform as an opportunity to use her voice as an Native woman and to empower other women to do the same.
• @nayhamills2 - Nayha Mills [she/her] is a Native makeup artist who inspires young Native youth to pursue their dreams and continue their Native culture. Mills has grown up on the Yakama Reservation all her life, and attends Yakama Nation Tribal school where she plays volleyball, basketball and track.
• @nightelf44 - Sterlingsilver [she/her] is a Black, Native and Filipina preschool teacher and TikTok creator who aspires to spread her political passion through sharing the unfiltered history, love, and knowledge of her cultures.
• @pawneeboy - Pawneeboy [he/him] is a Native comedian who describes himself as "just a deadly uncle who loves making content and drinking bepsi." He loves all Indigenous people and hopes to unite them because "together, we are one."
• @recycldstardust - Nikki [she/her] is a First Nations, Mohawk content creator, plus size body positivity advocate, beauty and skincare blogger and a mom of two. She celebrates and shares Indigenous culture, history, heritage, fashion, and beauty on TikToK to bring awareness to important issues that face Indigenous peoples.
• @reynachabeli - Reyna Chabeli [she/her] is a Zapotec graphic artist from Oaxaca, Mexico whose artwork and TikTok videos are geared towards the visibility of Indigenous People of Mexico, reminding viewers that Indigenous languages and traditions are still alive today.
• @roxyrendoes - Roxy Ren [she/xyr] is an Afro-Indigenous beauty inclusivity and mental health activist of over 20 years whose goal has always been to help others find peace and clarity through beauty videos and vlogs regardless of their race or age. Roxy is a proud LA resident and makeup artist working in film, TV and print worldwide.
• @taniateyacapan - Tania Teyacapan [she/her] is a self-proclaimed social justice activist who uses her pinup modeling and other artistic outlets to create awareness regarding Indigenous communities. Teyacapan embraces her Lipan Apache and Chichimecatl heritage through visuals and education and has served Southern California tribes as a healthy relationships advocate, as well as illustrated a Native American coloring book which focused on the Payomkawichum and Kumeyaay nations.

Be on the lookout for spotlights with our creators throughout the month and be sure to follow @TikTokCreators to see more!

Supporting the Community

To celebrate the community beyond programming, we continue to support education and entrepreneurship and are donating $100,000 across three organizations supporting causes important to Indigenous peoples:

• American Indian College Fund: The American Indian College Fund was founded in 1989. For over 31 years, the College Fund has been the nation’s largest charity supporting Native student access to higher education. They provide scholarships, programming to improve Native American student access to higher education, and the support and tools for them to succeed once they are there.
• Association on American Indian Affairs: The Association on American Indian Affairs is the oldest non-profit serving Indian Country protecting sovereignty, preserving culture, educating youth and building capacity. Throughout its 99-year history, the Association has provided national advocacy on watershed issues that support sovereignty and culture, while working at a grassroots level with Tribes to support the implementation of programs that affect real lives on the ground.
• American Indian Services: When Dale Tingey founded American Indian Services (AIS) his mission was to aid Native Americans in the best possible way while maintaining their culture and honoring their heritage. Today, the AIS board and staff continue leading and growing the organization to help their students succeed while maintaining Dale's attitudes of kindness, caring and generosity.

Celebrate the #NativeFamily on TikTok

Join us to celebrate our #NativeFamily on TikTok as we highlight the diversity of experiences the community embodies, from varied Indigenous cultures, to food traditions and craftsmanship.

To stay up-to-date on Native American Heritage Month programming and the #NativeFamily community on TikTok, follow @TikTokCreators and @TikTok. Be sure to check out the Discover page throughout the month for more info on LIVE program dates and times.