Kiawentiio Biography

Kiawentiio Tarbell is a young Mohawk actress from the Akwesasne community in Canada. She is also a singer, songwriter, and visual artist.

Kiawentiio got her start in acting when she attended an open call audition for the CBC/Netflix series Anne with an E (2019). Competing against over 200 other young Canadians, Kiawentiio won the role of Ka'kwet, an independent and resilient young girl who becomes a kindred spirit.

Following her success on the show, Kiawentiio starred in the title role of the feature film Beans (2020). The film was directed by Tracey Deer, who worked on Anne with an E as a co-executive producer. Deer liked what she saw in Kiawentiio and had her audition for the lead role. The film went on to win numerous awards, including Best Motion Picture and Best First Feature Film at the 2021 Canadian Screen Awards.

Kiawentiio also starred in the comedy television series Rutherford Falls (2021), which was created and written by Ed Helms.

Shortly after, she was cast as Katara in the highly anticipated series Avatar: The Last Airbender (Netflix) (2024), which was filmed in British Columbia.

In her spare time, Kiawentiio enjoys painting and playing softball, volleyball, and ping-pong.