20 Famous Indigenous and Native Americans Making History in Fashion, Film and More

Award-winning artist Lauren Good Day is famous for intertwining old traditions with modern culture. Her art has been featured at some of the nation’s most prestigious shows, including Santa Fe Indian Market, Heard Guild Museum Market, and the Autry American Indian Arts Marketplace. She started her art career at age six with beadwork and Tribal regalia and then expanded into quillwork, ledger drawings, rawhide parfleche and clothing.

Best known for her majestic landscape paintings, Cherokee artist Kay Walkingstick is famous for incorporating various elements into her paintings that are viewed as being distinctly Native American like well-known chiefs, warriors and influential figures.

A native of Shawnee, Oklahoma, and a graduate of the University of Oklahoma, Creed Humphrey is the current center for the Kansas City Chiefs in the NFL. In 2022, Creed was selected for the Pro Bowl and was part of the team that won Super Bowl LVII. Creed is a proud member of the Potawatomi Nation. "There’s not a ton of representation with Native Americans throughout sports," Creed told potawatomi.com. "So I’m very happy to be able to be a person that younger kids to look up to."

Jason Mamoa is proud of his native heritage and talks about it every chance he gets, whether it’s in front of the camera or on the red carpet. He is Native Hawaiian on his father’s side. He is deeply involved in protecting his native land and most recently helped to protest the development of Mauna Kea, Hawaii's tallest mountain. He also identifies as Pawnee, from his grandmother’s side.

Quannah Chasinghorse is an Indigenous model and activist with a shared heritage of Lakota and Navajo ancestry. She is known for using her platform to support Indigenous sovereignty and sustainability. She made headlines at the 2022 Met Gala by combining contemporary looks with intricate Native jewelry and headpieces.

If Gil Birmingham looks familiar, that’s because he’s been a staple of film and television for decades. He’s best known for his portrayal of Billy Black in the Twilight Saga film series and currently as Tribal Chairman Thomas Rainwater in the Paramount Network's television series Yellowstone.

Louie Gong is an artist, educator and public speaker who was raised by his grandparents in the Nooksack tribal community. Although he is best known for his highly sought-after, hand-drawn custom shoes, Louie has received international recognition for his art. His latest project, The Sasquatch Collection, in conjunction with Brooks Running and the Snoqualmie Tribe Ancestral Lands Movement, pays homage to Indigenous lands.

Tommy Orange is an American novelist and indigenous writer from Oakland, California. His first book, There, There, was a finalist for the 2019 Pulitzer Prize and received the 2019 American Book Award. The highly acclaimed book follows a dozen Native American characters whose lives converge at a big powwow at the Oakland Coliseum. He is a graduate of the MFA program at the American Indian Arts School.

When Sharice Davids was sworn into the 116th House of Representatives, she made headlines by becoming one of the first Native American women elected to Congress, alongside fellow Native American Deb Haaland. She was also the first openly LBGTQ+ Native American woman elected to Congress. She is currently the representative for Kansas’ second district, where public education and affordable higher education are two of her biggest interests.

Deb Haaland made history when she became the first Native American to serve as cabinet secretary in the United States Congress. But this wasn’t the first ceiling she broke through. After running for Lieutenant Governor of New Mexico in 2014, Secretary Haaland became the first Native American woman to be elected to lead a state party. In Congress, she focused on environmental justice, climate change, missing and murdered Indigenous women and family-friendly policies.

Visual and performance artist Kent Monkman is a Canadian First Nations artist of Cree ancestry and a member of the Fisher River band situated in Manitoba's Interlake Region. Known for his thought-provoking works which intermingle Western European and American history, Monkman explores the complexities of the Indigenous experiences in art form.

Wesley Studi is a seasoned actor and producer with roles in award-winning films like Dances with Wolves and The Last of the Mohicans. His latest project is the animated show, Spirit Rangers, which follows the three Native American children who become park rangers with secret identities.

Juane Quick-to-See Smith is an abstract artist whose work has been featured in galleries and museums since the 1970s. Much of her art focuses on the destruction of the environment and governmental oppression of Indigenous cultures. Smith has had over 90 solo exhibits in the past 30 years. She has also organized and curated over 30 exhibitions and lectured at more than 185 universities, museums and conferences internationally.

Joy Harjo is an American poet, musician, playwright and author who became the first-ever Native American Poet Laureate in 2022. Her flagship poem “American Sunrise,” tells the struggle between the contemporary world and Indigenous identity.

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Cheri Madsen is a Paralympic wheelchair racing athlete and is the first Native American female to win an Olympic exhibition bronze medal.

In 2002, John Herrington became the first member of a Native American tribe to fly in space. His mission took him to the International Space Station where he honored his heritage by carrying six eagle feathers, a braid of sweet grass, two arrowheads and the Chickasaw nation’s flag on a planned spacewalk. He is also a retired United States Naval Aviator and engineer.

Contemporary multimedia artist Wendy Red Star creates art that confronts the romanticized representation of Native Americans in the media. Red Star has exhibited in the United States and abroad at venues including the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Portland Art Museum, Hood Art Museum, St. Louis Art Museum and more.

Sean Sherman, also known as the Sioux Chef, is a James Beard award-winning chef who is known for bringing Native cuisine to the forefront of today’s dining scene. Indigenous food identification, gathering, cultivation and preparation are all part of his culinary programs to bring traditional foods to the masses.

Temryss Lane is most famous for her soccer skills on the field, playing both professionally and internationally. In addition to being a well-known sports journalist and analyst, she frequently speaks on culturally specific solutions that address challenges to wellness within Indigenous communities.

In 1996 and 2000, Winona LaDuke ran for vice president as the nominee of the Green Party of the United States, on a ticket headed by Ralph Nader. She is the executive director of Honor the Earth, a Native environmental advocacy organization that played an active role in the Dakota Access Pipeline protests.