Kahn-Tineta Horn

Kahn-Tineta Horn, also known as Kahentinetha Horn, is a Mohawk political activist, former fashion model, and former civil servant born on April 16, 1940, in New York City. A member of the Mohawk Bear Clan of Kahnawake, Quebec, she grew up in Kahnawake after her family returned to the community. In the early 1960s, she pursued a modeling career in cities such as Montreal, Toronto, and New York City, becoming one of the prominent Indigenous faces in North American print and runway modeling during that era.

Horn leveraged her public profile as a model to advocate for Indigenous sovereignty, treaty rights, and community self-determination. In 1963, she was named Indian Princess of Canada by the National Indian Council, a director position she used to bring national media attention to systemic inequality and land rights issues facing First Nations communities. Throughout the 1960s and 1970s, she participated in prominent campaigns and civil protests, including the 1962 Conference on Indian Poverty in Washington, D.C., and the 1968 blockade at the International Bridge in Akwesasne.

In 1972, Horn joined the Canadian federal Department of Indian Affairs and Northern Development, serving for decades in policy development roles focused on social and community initiatives. She remained active in grassroots advocacy and gained wide recognition during the 1990 Oka Crisis at Kanehsatake, standing alongside traditionalists in defense of Mohawk land. Following the standoff, she assumed the role of editor for the independent publication Mohawk Nation News service.

Horn holds a master's degree from Carleton University with a focus on Mohawk political ideology and governance. She is the mother of four daughters, including academic Kahente Horn-Miller, physician Ojistoh Horn, Olympic water polo player Waneek Horn-Miller, and actress Kaniehtiio Horn. In recent years, she has continued her political writing, editing, and legal activism in defense of Indigenous rights and historical heritage.