Marika Sila

Last updated

Marika Sila
Born (1992-03-18) March 18, 1992 (age 31)
Yellowknife, Northwest Territories
NationalityCanadian Inuvialuk
Occupation(s)actress, content creator, social activist
Family Jesse Cockney

Marika Sila (born March 18, 1992) [1] [2] is a Canadian Inuvialuk actress, content creator, and social activist. Born in Yellowknife, Northwest Territories, her family (originally from Tuktoyaktuk) moved to Canmore, Alberta when she was five years old. [3] [4] [5] Olympic cross-country skier Jesse Cockney is her older brother. [3] [6]

Contents

Film and television

Sila focuses on roles which she feels portray Indigenous people in a positive way, saying that her acting career serves to "build a platform so I can speak about important Indigenous rights issues and climate issues." [7] Her first major acting role was in a 2019 episode of The Twilight Zone, "A Traveler," where she portrayed an Inuk police officer. [7] [8] [9] Sila next appeared as a police officer in four episodes of Canadian police procedural series Tribal in 2020. [7] Her lead performance as an Inuk paramedic in Canadian horror film Ditched (2022) was well-received, with one reviewer calling her "reason enough to stick with the story." [10]

In March 2022, she announced that she was producing and directing a documentary about the reaction of Inuit elders and community leaders to the bodies discovered at former residential schools. [5] The documentary will be titled What's Next? On Canada's RedPath to Reconciliation. [5]

In September 2022, Sila and her brother Jesse competed in The Amazing Race Canada 8 , and came in second place. [11] [12]

Other ventures

Sila's TikTok has over 364,000 followers as of April 2023. [2] She began posting on TikTok in April 2020 at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic in Canada. [13] Her content is a mixture of education about Inuit culture and social issues; social activism relating to missing and murdered Indigenous women, the Canadian Indian residential school system, and the bodies of children buried at the schools; and stunt performances, including hoop dancing, fire spinning, and weapons handling. [4] [14] [15]

In 2021, Sila launched RedPath Radio, a podcast aimed at preserving and sharing Indigenous cultural knowledge and stories. [16] She is also the owner of RedPath Talent, an entertainment and talent management agency focused on Indigenous performers. [7] [17]

Sila has also appeared as a model. In 2020, she was a quarterfinalist in the Maxim Cover Girl contest. [6] In 2022, she was a model for the third iteration of Project Atigi, a capsule collection created by Inuk designer Victoria Kakuktinniq for winterwear brand Canada Goose. [18] [19]

Filmography

YearTitleRoleNotesRef
2016 Lucifer Barfing GirlEpisode "The Would-Be Prince of Darkness" [8]
2019 The Twilight Zone Sergeant Yuka MongoyakEpisode "A Traveler" [8]
2020 Tribal Justine Trueblood4 episodes [7]
2021The Secret History of: The Wild WestYoung Blackfoot WomanEpisode "Louder than Words" [20]
2021 Hudson & Rex Veena KalvakEpisode "Fanning the Flames" [21]
2021 Ditched Melina [10]
2022 The Amazing Race Canada 8 Self/ContestantCompeted with brother Jesse Cockney [22]
2023 Finality of Dusk Ishkode [23]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Northwest Territories</span> Territory of Canada

The Northwest Territories is a federal territory of Canada. At a land area of approximately 1,144,000 km2 (442,000 sq mi) and a 2016 census population of 41,790, it is the second-largest and the most populous of the three territories in Northern Canada. Its estimated population as of 2023 is 45,668. Yellowknife is the capital, most populous community, and only city in the territory; its population was 19,569 as of the 2016 census. It became the territorial capital in 1967, following recommendations by the Carrothers Commission.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tanya Tagaq</span> Canadian Inuk throat singer

Tanya Tagaq, also credited as Tagaq, is a Canadian Inuk throat singer, songwriter, novelist, actor, and visual artist from Cambridge Bay (Iqaluktuuttiaq), Nunavut, Canada, on the south coast of Victoria Island.

Puvirnituq is a northern village in Nunavik, on the Povungnituk River near its mouth on Hudson Bay in northern Quebec, Canada. Its population was 2,129 as of the 2021 Canadian census.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Inuit</span> Indigenous peoples of northern North America

Inuit are a group of culturally and historically similar Indigenous peoples traditionally inhabiting the Arctic and subarctic regions of North America, including Greenland, Labrador, Quebec, Nunavut, the Northwest Territories, Yukon (traditionally), Alaska, and Chukotsky District of Chukotka Autonomous Okrug, Russia. Inuit languages are part of the Eskimo–Aleut languages, also known as Inuit-Yupik-Unangan, and also as Eskaleut. Inuit Sign Language is a critically endangered language isolate used in Nunavut.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mary Simon</span> Governor General of Canada since 2021

Mary Jeannie May Simon is a Canadian civil servant, diplomat, and former broadcaster who has served as the 30th governor general of Canada since July 26, 2021. Simon is Inuk, making her the first Indigenous person to hold the office.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Inuit Nunangat</span> Inuit regions of Canada

Inuit Nunangat refers to the land, water, and ice of the homeland of Inuit in Canada. This Arctic homeland consists of four northern Canadian regions called the Inuvialuit Settlement Region, the territory Nunavut (ᓄᓇᕗᑦ), Nunavik (ᓄᓇᕕᒃ) in northern Quebec, and Nunatsiavut of Newfoundland and Labrador.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Beatrice Deer</span>

Beatrice Deer is a Canadian Inuk-Mohawk singer and actress from Quaqtaq, Nunavik, Quebec. She released her debut album, Just Bea, in 2005, and won a Canadian Aboriginal Music Award for Best Inuit/Cultural Album. In 2010, she released her self-titled album, Beatrice Deer, and later that same year, she released a Christmas album, An Arctic Christmas.

For many Indigenous communities in Canada, food insecurity is a major, ongoing problem. A variety of factors, from poverty, the COVID-19 pandemic, government inaction and climate change, exacerbated by both historical and ongoing discrimination faced by Indigenous Canadians, have played a role in the creation of this crisis.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jesse Cockney</span>

Jesse Cockney is a Canadian Olympic cross-country skier of Inuvialuit heritage whose father, Angus Cockney, also was a Canadian national team member and national champion. The 2014 Winter Olympic Games in Sochi, Russia is where Cockney made his Olympic debut. Cockney competed in two events at Sochi, the sprint, and the 50 km mass start, which are the shortest and longest events at the Games. Prior to the Olympics, Cockney had a successful Junior career, winning three gold medals at the 2011 Canada Winter Games. He also made his World Cup debut in 2011. While growing up in Canmore, Alberta, Cockney participated in the ski development program. Cockney is a member of the Nordic Hills Ski Club and Canadian Senior Team. He is fluent in both English and French. Actress and activist Marika Sila is his younger sister.

Norma Dunning is an Inuk Canadian writer and assistant lecturer at the University of Alberta, who won the Danuta Gleed Literary Award in 2018 for her short story collection Annie Muktuk and Other Stories. In the same year, she won the Writers' Guild of Alberta's Howard O'Hagan Award for the short story "Elipsee", and was a shortlisted finalist for the City of Edmonton Book Award. She published in 2020 a collection of poetry and stories entitled Eskimo Pie: A Poetics of Inuit Identity.

Anna Lambe is a Canadian Inuk actress from Iqaluit, Nunavut. She is most noted for her debut role as Spring in the 2018 film The Grizzlies, for which she received a Canadian Screen Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress at the 7th Canadian Screen Awards in 2019.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Charli D'Amelio</span> American social media personality (born 2004)

Charli Grace D'Amelio is an American social media personality. She was a competitive dancer for over a decade before starting her social media career in 2019, when she began posting dance videos on the video-sharing platform TikTok. She quickly amassed a large following and subsequently became the most-followed creator on the platform in March 2020 until she was surpassed by Khaby Lame in June 2022. With over 151 million followers, she is the second-most-followed-person on TikTok, as of 2024.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Addison Rae</span> American social media personality (born 2000)

Addison Rae Easterling is an American social media personality, actress, and singer-songwriter. Rae rose to fame on the video sharing app, TikTok. She amassed over 88 million followers, making her the fifth most-followed individual on the platform.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Victoria Kakuktinniq</span> Canadian Inuk fashion designer

Victoria Kakuktinniq is a Canadian Inuk fashion designer from Nunavut. Under her label Victoria's Arctic Fashion, Kakuktinniq hand-stitches clothing such as parkas, kamiit, and other accessories. Her work has been described as a major influence in contemporary Inuit fashion. Kakuktinniq has described her work as a means of preserving Inuit traditional skills of sewing and clothing production, which has historically been a significant aspect of Inuit culture. In particular, she advocates for handmade fur garments as sustainable fashion.

Shina Novalinga is an Inuk social media personality, singer, and activist. She gained fame for posting videos throat singing with her mother on TikTok and Instagram. As of August 2022, she has over 4 million TikTok followers and 2 million Instagram followers.

Rassi Nashalik is a retired Canadian journalist who was formerly the host of Igalaaq, a CBC North newscast in the Inuit language of Inuktitut. In August 2021, she was inducted into the CBC News Hall of Fame.

Enooyaq Sudlovenick is an Inuk Canadian marine biologist. She was a recipient of the 2021 Weston Family Awards in Northern Research for her research into the health of marine animals of the Arctic.

Willow Allen is a Canadian fashion model and TikToker, from Inuvik, Northwest Territories.

References

  1. ↑ Marika Sila [@marikasila] (March 18, 2021). "Bday tings 🐒🥳" – via Instagram.
  2. 1 2 Wong, Madison (July 22, 2021). "Indigenous youth are using TikTok to educate and preserve their culture — and gaining hundreds of thousands of". The Toronto Star . ISSN   0319-0781. Archived from the original on February 6, 2022. Retrieved March 25, 2022.
  3. 1 2 Cardin-Goyer, Camille (January 28, 2022). "How These Indigenous Women Are Reclaiming Their Culture". Elle Canada. Archived from the original on March 17, 2022. Retrieved March 25, 2022.
  4. 1 2 "Indigenous TikTok Star Marika Sila on Why We Should Cancel Canada Day". Complex. Archived from the original on February 6, 2022. Retrieved March 25, 2022.
  5. 1 2 3 Butterfield, Ethan (March 3, 2022). "Yellowknife-born actress creating residential schools documentary". Northern News Services . Archived from the original on March 4, 2022. Retrieved March 25, 2022.
  6. 1 2 Small, Jordan (July 8, 2020). "Beyond Local: Inuit performer aims to become first Indigenous woman on Maxim cover". LakelandToday.ca. Archived from the original on April 13, 2022. Retrieved March 25, 2022.
  7. 1 2 3 4 5 Volmers, Eric (January 20, 2022). "Canmore actress and influencer Marika Sila sees starring role in horror film as a path to higher purpose". Calgary Herald . Archived from the original on February 1, 2022. Retrieved March 25, 2022.
  8. 1 2 3 "Inuvialuit woman lead actress in new episode of The Twilight Zone". CBC News . April 19, 2019. Archived from the original on February 26, 2022. Retrieved March 25, 2022.
  9. ↑ Davenport, Samantha (April 17, 2019). "Inuit actress plays lead role in 'Twilight Zone' episode set in Alaska". Anchorage Daily News . Archived from the original on December 15, 2020. Retrieved March 25, 2022.
  10. 1 2 Knight, Chris (January 14, 2022). "Film review: Ditched has a whole lot of horror going on". National Post. Retrieved March 25, 2022.
  11. ↑ "Inuvialuit siblings from Yellowknife make it to the finale of Amazing Race Canada". CBC News. September 21, 2022. Retrieved September 26, 2022.
  12. ↑ "Broadway Alums Catherine Wreford Ledlow and Craig Ramsay Win The Amazing Race Canada". Peoplemag. Retrieved September 26, 2022.
  13. ↑ "Find Out What Makes TikTok Star Marika Sila Tick". VITA Daily. October 22, 2020. Archived from the original on October 9, 2021. Retrieved March 26, 2022.
  14. ↑ Macyshon, Jill (September 5, 2020). "Indigenous TikTok creators use platform to 'bridge the gap' between cultures". CTV News. Archived from the original on February 6, 2022. Retrieved March 25, 2022.
  15. ↑ Taylor-Singh, Heather (September 30, 2021). "10 Indigenous Content Creators You Should Be Following". Elle Canada . Archived from the original on October 3, 2021. Retrieved March 25, 2021.
  16. ↑ Small, Jordan. "RedPath Radio podcast to inspire unity among all races, genders and identities". Lakeland Today. Archived from the original on May 16, 2021. Retrieved March 25, 2022.
  17. ↑ Taylor, Brooke (June 22, 2021). "'Unapologetically Indigenous': How TikTok provides a community for Indigenous creators to advocate, educate and entertain". CTV News . Archived from the original on February 6, 2022. Retrieved March 25, 2022.
  18. ↑ Cardin-Goyer, Camille (February 2022). "Reclaiming Their Culture". Elle Canada . p. 70. Archived from the original on April 5, 2022. Retrieved March 26, 2022.
  19. ↑ "Project Atigi: Meet the Inuit designer Victoria Kakuktinniq". Elle Canada. Archived from the original on March 14, 2022. Retrieved March 25, 2022.
  20. ↑ "The Secret History of the Wild West Ep 101" (PDF). Aboriginal Peoples Television Network . Archived (PDF) from the original on April 13, 2022. Retrieved April 13, 2022.
  21. ↑ "Marika Sila". IMDb. Archived from the original on February 16, 2017. Retrieved April 13, 2022.
  22. ↑ "It's Go Time, Canada! THE AMAZING RACE CANADA Returns July 5 on CTV, as all 10 Teams Revealed". Bell Media . June 22, 2022. Retrieved June 22, 2022.
  23. ↑ "Film ‘Finality Of Dusk’ Receives its World Premiere". Occhimag, November 3, 2023.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.