About
Marika Sila, a Canadian Inuvialuk actress, content creator, and social activist, was born in Yellowknife, Northwest Territories. Her family, originally from Tuktoyaktuk, moved to Canmore, Alberta, when she was five. Her older brother is Olympic cross-country skier Jesse Cockney. Sila is dedicated to portraying Indigenous people positively through her roles, using her acting career to address Indigenous rights and climate issues.
She made her major acting debut in the 2019 episode "A Traveler" of The Twilight Zone, playing an Inuk police officer. In 2020, she appeared as a police officer in four episodes of the Canadian series Tribal. Her lead role as an Inuk paramedic in the 2022 horror film Ditched was praised, with one reviewer noting her as "reason enough to stick with the story."
In March 2022, Sila announced her production and direction of a documentary titled What's Next? On Canada's RedPath to Reconciliation, focusing on the reactions of Inuit elders and leaders to the discovery of bodies at former residential schools. Sila's TikTok account, with over 364,000 followers as of April 2023, features educational content about Inuit culture, social activism, and stunt performances such as hoop dancing, fire spinning, and weapons handling.
In 2021, Sila launched RedPath Radio, a podcast dedicated to preserving and sharing Indigenous cultural knowledge. She also owns RedPath Talent, an entertainment and talent management agency for Indigenous performers. Additionally, Sila has modeling experience, being a quarterfinalist in the 2020 Maxim Cover Girl contest and a model for the 2022 Project Atigi, a collection by Inuk designer Victoria Kakuktinniq for Canada Goose.
