Today, we had the honor of sitting down with the beloved content creator and comedian Che Jim. Che has amassed over 2.5 million TikTok followers and 360 thousand Instagram followers while simultaneously winning over the hearts of everyone in and outside of Indian Country. Keep reading for the full interview.
NMM: Hi, Che! It’s so awesome to sit down with you. Can you please introduce yourself to the Native Max audience?
CJ: Yá’át’ééh shik’éi dóó shidine’é. Che Jim yinishyé Odawa nishti. Tódich’ii’nii báshíshchíín. Naakaii dine’e dashicheii. Dibéłizhiní dashinálí. Ákótéego Diné hastiin.
Hello to you. My name is Che Jim. I am an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation from my father’s side. My Navajo clans are bitter water and black sheep. Through my mother, I have ancestry to the Odawa nation, and I am also Latino. I am an Indigenous activist, and since 2020, I’ve been a content creator with an emphasis on skit comedy.
NMM: Great, thank you! Speaking of your content creation, what motivated you to become an Indigenous creator on social media? Was there a specific moment or memory that you recall, or was this something that always made sense to you?
CJ: I mean, they always say never to give in to peer pressure, but in my case, I totally became a content creator due to peer pressure! When I was young, I attended a very artsy school, and at this school, I needed to take theater classes, choir, and all sorts of arts and mediums. I mean, we even had to sing our attendance every morning. I was lucky enough to have my creative side developed very early in life. The big moment the idea of making content came about in 2020 was when we had a very close family friend over at the house, and they showed me videos on TikTok. Up until this point, I never knew TikTok had any space for Indigenous content. They showed me all these Indigenous creators making videos and suggested that I do it – which I was very resistant to, to be honest. But, after watching some videos, I decided why not give it a try. Until this point, all of my creative exposure had been limited to just my family and friends. They thought that I would do really well at it. So, I gave it a try, and it went viral very quickly. I would say within the first month or so, I had already put out a few videos that were getting hundreds of thousands of views.. and after that, the rest is history.
NMM: I love that story! I love how supportive your family and friends are! Could you explain your content to us? What inspires your videos? Is there a message you want to spread through your work?
CJ: So the content that I create is primarily comedy; I’ve always been kind of a class clown type of personality. One of the things I loved to do was create scenarios to act out in front of people around me, and they seemed to get some enjoyment out of it. So, it became very easy to take those ideas and just put them on video. You know, humor is a big part of Indigenous culture. I think it’s really representative of our resiliency to a lot of historical traumas that we have faced as a people. You can’t go anywhere without hearing a bunch of laughter along the way. It’s something that I’ve always admired about us, and I was always happy to take part. But I think what comes with humor is a bit of conversational intersections about really important issues. So, I really wanted to create content that was both entertaining and funny but also had some real substance to it – to talk about and discuss. And to be honest, not all of my videos do that, but that’s certainly a driving force and something that I’ve taken into account when I come up with ideas. And I will always implement it when I am given the chance.
NMM: I love that message! You really are spreading that Indigenous laugh throughout Indian Country while raising awareness of our culture and people! How long have you been a creator? When did you start getting recognized for your work? What does it feel like to have a large audience?
CJ: I’ve been actively creating since 2020, and I have had some prior experience as an actor. Which certainly helped me along the way. And I think the recognition really came for me around 2021, a year after I started creating. I think that’s when I really started gaining traction and some notoriety. It’s about that time for anyone who’s been creating that you start getting brand deals and companies reaching out to you. It’s very surreal. And I don’t think it’s something you ever really get used to. But having a large audience is both very empowering and also a bit spooky. I think, in a lot of ways, I’m still figuring out how to cope with it all. But I’m very thankful, and you just can’t really ever let it get to your head. You know we get to where we’re at by being the people that we are. So, I learned very early that you don’t have to change. You have to be yourself. Regarding how many people there are. You will always have comfort in that.
NMM: That really says it all. Being yourself and being recognized for it has got to feel so rewarding. Speaking of that, what’s the best part of being an Indigenous creator, and what’s the most challenging part?
CJ: The best part about being an Indigenous creator is the support that you feel from your community. We live in a time where community recognition and support are super important for any Indigenous person to thrive. And being able to receive messages from people who are inspired by you and what you do is just the most special thing. And I don’t take it for granted, and that’s what it’s all about. There are challenges to it, and the biggest is keeping up with the demand sometimes. I think when you get to a certain size in the creative sphere, you put some expectations on yourself to deliver. And sometimes, that can become very overwhelming. But you do learn to cope with it, and you learn to be gentle with yourself along the way. You have to practice self-care if you’re going to do this type of thing.
NMM: Absolutely. In a field like this, we tend to hold ourselves to really unrealistic expectations. It’s great to see that you’ve found balance. Based on your career now, what does the future hold for you? What are you working on, or what can we let our audience know about so they can further support you?
CJ: You know, there’s been a lot of talk about TikTok as a platform getting banned in the United States. and that obviously is going to affect me and a lot of other people who have made this their thing. So, the future is a bit uncertain. However, what I do know, is that I’m not going to stop. I think there are some big transitions coming up for me. I think I’m going to invest myself in other platforms and look to move more toward longer-form content. I played with the idea of potentially coming out with a podcast or a sit-down of sorts. Short-form content is great, but I would really like to have more meaningful conversations. There’s only so much you can communicate in 60 seconds, so I think there’s a natural progression into longer-form stuff. And I definitely see myself going in that direction.
NMM: We would love to see longer-form content from you! We hope it all goes well and that when that day comes – we get to write another web story all about it! To close this awesome interview, is there anything else you want to share with our audience?
CJ: In closing, I would just like to thank Native Max for taking the time. It really means a lot to me and my family. I have a great deal of respect for you all, and I am truly grateful. And to anyone who is reading this, and to all of the people who have supported me over these last four years. I just want to say thank you from the bottom of my heart. This whole journey has been life-changing for me. Never in a million years did I ever think that I would be in such a position as I am now. And I have all of you to thank for that. You all continue to inspire me and motivate me. And I will always do my best to be a positive influence and ambassador to Native people everywhere. Thank you.
Thank you so much to Che Jim for taking the time to answer our questions and share his message with us. You can stay up to date with Che Jim and his content by following his TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, and merch line. He is also open to collaborating with other Indigenous creatives as he expands his content portfolio. You can reach out to him on any of his social platforms.
