You’ve seen her. Maybe she was the one handing out high-stakes dry wit in a hockey rink, or perhaps she was the terrifying supernatural entity walking down a dusty road with deer hooves for feet. Honestly, Kaniehtiio Horn (often credited as Tiio Horn) has this weird, magnetic ability to be the most memorable person in a scene without even trying that hard.
She doesn’t just do "Indigenous roles." She does iconic roles.
From the cult-classic status of Letterkenny to the high-concept prestige of Reservation Dogs, the landscape of Kaniehtiio Horn TV shows is basically a masterclass in how to build a career on range and pure, unadulterated "don’t mess with me" energy. If you’re just catching up to her work in 2026, you’re late to the party, but man, it’s a good party to be at.
The Tanis Effect: How Letterkenny Changed Everything
It’s hard to talk about Kaniehtiio Horn without starting at the Rez. When Tanis first showed up on Letterkenny, she wasn't just another character; she was a force of nature. She was the leader of the Rez, a businesswoman, a mother, and someone who could out-chirp the toughest hockey players in Ontario.
Horn played Tanis from 2016 all the way to the series finale in 2023. What most people get wrong about Tanis is thinking she was just a "tough girl" trope. Horn actually brought a lot of her own personal growth to that role. She’s mentioned in interviews that when she started, she was in a bit of an angry place personally, and she channeled that into Tanis. By the end, both the actress and the character had softened in the best way possible—finding a sense of peace while still being able to kick anyone's ass at a moment's notice.
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She even won a Canadian Screen Award for Best Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series back in 2022 for this role. Plus, if you're a fan of the spinoff Shoresy, you’ve still got her fingerprints all over it—she serves as a Consulting Producer to make sure the Indigenous representation stays authentic and sharp.
The Supernatural Side: Deer Lady and Beyond
If you haven't seen Reservation Dogs, stop reading this and go watch the "Deer Lady" episodes. Now.
In a show that was already groundbreaking, Horn’s portrayal of the Deer Lady—a figure from Indigenous folklore who protects the innocent and punishes the "bad men"—was a total game-changer. It’s one of those performances that stays with you. She managed to make a mythological being feel like a real person you might meet at a diner, even while she’s casually planning a brutal act of justice.
But that wasn't her first brush with the weird and ghostly.
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- Hemlock Grove: She spent years as Destiny Rumancek, a Romani witch/medium. It was a gritty, strange Netflix horror series that really let her lean into a darker, more atmospheric vibe.
- Supernatural: Remember Dorothy from Oz? No, not the Kansas one—the badass monster-hunting one. Horn played Dorothy Baum in the "Slumber Party" episode of Season 9. It’s a fan favorite for a reason.
- The Man in the High Castle: She played Gina, a character caught in the alternate-history tensions of a Nazi-occupied America. It showed she could handle heavy, dramatic weight just as well as a sitcom punchline.
What’s Happening in 2026?
Right now, everyone is buzzing about her role in The Lowdown. If you haven’t tracked it down yet, it’s an FX crime comedy starring Ethan Hawke. Horn plays Samantha, the ex-wife of Hawke’s character, Lee. It’s a great dynamic—she’s the grounded, exasperated voice of reason who still has a soft spot for the guy despite his obsessive investigative habits. The show just got renewed for a second season, so expect to see a lot more of her there.
She’s also voicing a character in the animated series Grimsburg alongside Jon Hamm. It’s a weird transition to go from live-action drama to voicing Wynona Whitecloud, but her comedic timing is so sharp it actually makes sense.
A Quick Look at the Essentials
If you're looking for a watchlist, these are the heavy hitters:
- 18 to Life (2010-2011): A great early look at her as Monica Bellow.
- Barkskins (2020): She played Mari in this historical drama about the settlement of New France. It’s brutal and beautiful.
- Rutherford Falls (2022): As Feather Day, she was the perfect foil to the main cast—a "villain" you low-key wanted to win.
- Seeds (2024/2025): Okay, this is a movie, but she wrote, directed, and starred in it. If you want to see her full creative vision, this is the one. It’s a horror-comedy about a Mohawk influencer that basically redefined her career.
Why She’s Not "Just an Actor"
The thing about Kaniehtiio Horn is that she’s deeply rooted in where she comes from. She grew up on the Kahnawake Mohawk Reserve and was actually present during the Oka Crisis in 1990 when she was just a kid. That lived experience—that "Mohawk rage" she sometimes talks about—informs everything she does.
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She isn't interested in being a prop. Whether she’s acting, directing her own films like Seeds, or hosting her podcast Coffee With My Ma (where she interviews her activist mother, Kahentinetha Horn), she’s always in control of the narrative.
So, what should you do if you’re a fan? Start by digging into the back catalog. Don’t just stick to the hits. Find the weird stuff like Slasher or her guest spots in Being Human. The depth of Kaniehtiio Horn TV shows is way deeper than most people realize.
Next Steps for the Superfan:
- Watch: The "Deer Lady" episode of Reservation Dogs (Season 3, Episode 3) for a masterclass in silent acting.
- Listen: Subscribe to the Coffee With My Ma podcast to understand the real-life inspiration behind her toughest characters.
- Stream: Catch up on The Lowdown on FX/Hulu before Season 2 drops later this year.