Q'orianka Waira Qoiana Kilcher (/ˌkɒriˈæŋkə ˈkɪltʃər/; born February 11, 1990) is an American actress, singer, and activist. Her best known film roles are Pocahontas in Terrence Malick's 2005 film The New World, and Kaʻiulani in Princess Kaiulani (2009). In 2020 she starred in a recurring role on the Paramount Network show Yellowstone.
Kilcher was born in Schweigmatt, Baden-Württemberg, West Germany. Her name Q'orianka means "Golden Eagle" in Quechua. Her father is of Quechua–Huachipaeri background from Peru, while her mother, Saskia Kilcher, is an American human rights activist of Swiss-German origin. When Kilcher was two, she and her mother moved to Kapaʻa, Hawaii, US, where her brother Kainoa was born.
Her father, from whom she is estranged, was absent for much of her life. Growing up in Hawaii, Kilcher was inspired by the local culture and started hula dancing at the age of five. She also trained in Tahitian dance and West African, as well as ballet, hip hop and modern dance. In 1997, Kilcher won Ballet Hawaii's Young Choreographer Award at age seven.[citation needed]

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