Biography

Kiawentiio, widely known by her mononymous professional name, is also known as name Kiawenti:io Tarbell. Her first name, Kiawenti:io, translates to "Nice Morning" in the Kanien'kéha (Mohawk) language.

Kiawentiio is a proud Indigenous Canadian-American actress, singer-songwriter, and visual artist. She is a member of the Mohawk Wolf Clan, belonging to the Mohawk Nation of Akwesasne. She grew up in a traditional Mohawk family on Cornwall Island (known in the Mohawk language as Kawehno:ke), which is part of the Akwesasne reserve spanning the border of Ontario, Quebec, and New York along the St. Lawrence River.

Growing up rooted in her culture and community, she attended the Akwesasne Freedom School. Alongside her acting career, she has maintained a passion for the arts from a young age, painting, drawing, and pursuing music. She released her debut self-written EP, In My Head, in 2021.

Kiawentiio's acting career took off rapidly following her first-ever audition, when she landed a recurring role as Ka'kwet in the third season of the acclaimed CBC/Netflix series Anne with an E (2019). Following that breakthrough, she earned critical acclaim for her lead performance as a 12-year-old girl named Beans in the 2020 drama film Beans, directed by Mohawk filmmaker Tracey Deer. After making appearances in projects like the sitcom Rutherford Falls (2021) and the animated Marvel series What If...? (2023), she achieved global recognition when she was cast as the waterbender Katara in Netflix's live-action adaptation of Avatar: The Last Airbender (2024).
- IMDb mini biography by: Furrukh Q

Her name is pronounced Gya-wuhn-dee-yo.