Reservation Dogs: Who Plays Deer Lady & Where Have You Seen Her Before?

Throughout three seasons of "Reservation Dogs," the Deer Lady has maintained a mythical presence. She's a spirit that takes the form of a beautiful woman with deer hooves for legs who kills bad men. Many unanswered questions about her were resolved in Season 3, Episode 3 — "Deer Lady" — where viewers see how this incarnation of the spirit manifested. As a young girl, she was sent to an abusive American Indian boarding school, based on actual events that have also been depicted in the likes of "1923." She flees at night and becomes the Deer Lady, now exacting revenge upon those who harmed her. 

So who plays Deer Lady in "Reservation Dogs?" Kaniehtiio Horn has portrayed the character every season, and she brings a level of gravitas to the role she's mastered over a stellar acting career. She was born and grew up in Ottawa as well as the Kahnawake Mohawk reserve, located outside of Montreal, meaning she fully understands the rez life as depicted in "Reservation Dogs." In an interview with Manitobah Blog, she mentioned how she prefers rez living to city life, "I have to admit the city really gets to me at times, [it's] exhausting. [I'm] a small town rez girl at heart, I need trees and I like to know who my neighbours are." 

She studied Theatre Arts at Dawson College and began acting in short films. One of her most significant early roles was a small part in 2008's "Journey to the Center of the Earth," starring Brendan Fraser. From there, she has dozens of other credits, a standout in anything she's in.

Sometimes credited as Tiio Horn, the actress has appeared prominently in films and television shows over the years. Starting in 2013, she played Destiny Rumancek, a psychic medium, in Netflix's "Hemlock Grove." She has a real penchant for more supernatural projects, as this point in her career also saw her in (appropriately enough) "Supernatural," "The Strain," and "The Man in the High Castle."

However, just because she stars in serious projects frequently doesn't mean she lacks a sense of humor. Many people likely recognize her for playing Tanis in "Letterkenny." Similar to "Reservation Dogs," Horn brings rez life to the masses by portraying the character in a way only she could. As she told The Cherry Picks, "I knew I wanted her to be put together, because most of the women on my rez look good and take care of themselves, and that's something I wanted to stay true to and show the world. I also knew I wanted her to have that rez edge, some street style, and she could curb stomp someone if she had to. Then, when it came to mannerisms, accent, and sayings, I just amped my own up to 11."

From her resume, it's clear Horn's dedicated to bringing more Indigenous-based art to the general public and is aware of a shifting tide in the culture. She explained to Manitobah Blog, "There is definitely something happening, I felt it maybe 5 or 6 years ago, I knew I could count on my generation and the younger ones to start making waves because of people like my sisters facing odds and carving out paths." And this interview was well before "Reservation Dogs" had even come out.