Kaniehtiio Horn Discusses Transforming Rage into Her Feature Film Debut, Seeds

      Kaniehtiio Horn is an actor, writer, and director recognized for her roles in Reservation Dogs, The Lowdown, Mohawk, and more. In the following piece, she shares her experiences in creating her feature film directorial debut, Seeds, which is now in theaters from Indican Pictures.

      While many Indigenous filmmakers explore themes of healing in their works, my focus has been on rage. I hail from Kahnawake, near Montreal, where my people, the Kanienkehaka, have resisted colonialism for 500 years. During a well-known standoff in 1990, my family protested against plans to expand a golf course onto Native land when my sister, only 14 at the time, was bayoneted in the chest by a Canadian soldier while trying to protect me. I was just four years old.

      As a mixed-race, white-passing Kanienkehaka woman, I never thought I would be cast to portray an Indigenous character. Growing up, I felt disillusioned because I never saw Indigenous representations on screen that strayed from the clichés of having two braids, a heavy accent, and either being portrayed as drunk or mystical. With my blue eyes and light skin, I decided it was best to concentrate on honing my performance skills and building a diverse body of work.

      I always wanted to create my own projects in the future. My first foray into filmmaking was in 2012 when I created the short “The Smoke Shack” with Big Soul Productions, based on my experience working in a cigarette shop in Kahnawake. Later, I auditioned for the late Jeff Barnaby’s short film “The Colony,” which sought to cast a dark-skinned, curvy Native woman.

      I was very well prepared for the audition and delivered a strong performance. He decided to cast me, and in my youthful insecurity regarding my identity, I asked if he wanted me to darken my red hair to “look more native.”

      He responded, “If anything, dye it even more red. You’re a fuckin’ Indian, and that’s it.”

      That was my first encounter with a Native person leading a project and making key decisions. It felt validating and ignited my passion to create my own works.

      I distinctly remember the moment when my perspective shifted. While filming Ted Geoghegan’s 2017 film Mohawk, I was taking a break to smoke with some crew members. The shoot in the dense woods of upper New York state was particularly exhausting. I thought to myself that I wanted to create a film with friends, set in one location, featuring some stunts, practical effects, and simply have fun. Influenced by films like Home Alone, Shaun of the Dead, and the Canadian classic Clearcut, I aspired to craft a fun experience for today’s generation. I longed to see a smart, relatable, and strong Indigenous female lead and a soundtrack that resonated with me.

      On Bringing Seeds to Life

      The pandemic provided me with the time to reflect and develop a script that became Seeds. I crafted the story, established the tone, and presented it to executives for feedback.

      Producer Leonard Farlinger was interested in a narrative about a Native woman reconnecting with her roots, only to discover that the company she works for is once again exploiting her people. We presented an early draft at the Frontieres film market in Montreal, part of the Fantasia Film Festival, where we engaged with executives, financiers, and producers who provided input on the script. We refined it further and went to Canada’s Indigenous Screen Office, which became our first investor. Being Native was viewed positively during a time when our identity was finally gaining recognition on a broader scale.

      I drew upon my own experiences of leaving and returning to the rez, grappling with what it means to be Indigenous today while remaining tied to our history and the land we’ve been entrusted to care for.

      I aimed to create an Indigenous film that resonates broadly. I found the typical portrayal of an antagonist motivated by greed to be clichéd, so I sought something more meaningful to my community. This led me to the concept of the Three Sisters — corn, beans, and squash. These represent seeds, or sustenance. In the film, the company seeks to control these seeds, and the metaphor felt apt. I never set out to create an anti-colonial, genre-blending, food sustainability film; I simply followed my creative instincts as they naturally unfolded.

      My character, Ziggy, embodies strength and carries the weight of rage passed down through generations of trauma from colonialism. My advice to independent filmmakers is to channel your rage, find your voice, bring your perspective to your projects, and embrace who you are: be it Trans, Native, Black, Asian, Hispanic, Mexican, White, or beyond. Each of you has a voice that deserves to be heard. But remember, it’s also okay to laugh.

      Luck played a part, too