A graduation card from (Image: the hands of Indigenous creators, memes have become a way to share community and connection, often in the form of in-jokes. Remixing or parodying popular culture and ideas, they are shared across the Internet and can go viral. Memes use visuals, often with superimposed text, to create the modern-day equivalent of a political cartoon. You have seen different types of them, whether they be rude, absurd, inspirational, surreal, hilarious or confusing. Since their rise in popularity in the mid-1990s, memes have become a part of online culture. One thing that bonds Indigenous people online is memes. Young people bring knowledge of evolving technologies to the table, while Elders and community leaders bring lifetimes of wisdom about culture, language and tradition. And with people of all ages using social media platforms, it makes me feel like many generations of us can learn to understand the others’ experiences. The divide between rural and urban presence online is being erased as Indigenous communities connect to the internet via satellites on their smartphones.

Through the content they post online, Indigenous people can define Indigeneity and identity, while allowing non-Indigenous people the chance to bear witness and learn. Interested in more stories like this? Subscribe to Broadview’ s weekly newsletter.Ĭreators like Kicknosway, Montana and Jackson are part of a young generation of Indigenous social media stars who are using their platforms to celebrate their cultures and push back against negative stereotypes. Over on Instagram, Amy Jackson, the Opaskwayak Cree founder of not only spins “unapologetically Rezzy” humour into digital designs, but then turns them into goods like shirts and stickers and has even launched a physical store in Winnipeg.

“Our power is in our braids, so let’s show them proudly,” he says.Īnother TikToker, Inuk throat singer and songwriter Brenda Montana ( shares everyday glimpses of her experience up north with her over 120,000 followers. In a viral video from early in the pandemic, he braids his hair while encouraging Indigenous boys and men to wear theirs without shame. Today, the Potawatomi and Cree youth advocate has over 430,000 followers on his account He often shares teachings about his culture or videos of himself dancing, transforming from street clothes into powwow regalia in the blink of an eye. Theland Kicknosway was only 16 when he posted his first TikTok video in 2020.

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