CRYSTLE LIGHTNING
Crystle began her show business journey at age four in Edmonton, Alberta. By the time she was eight, her family had relocated to Los Angeles, where she immediately landed her first lead role in the blockbuster hit 3 Ninjas Knuckle Up. Since then she has acted in numerous productions, including the TV series BET’s The Game, and a recurring role in Days of our Lives. Her movie credits include American Pie Presents Band Camp, and a strong supporting role in the film, Older Than America. Currently she plays the role of “Tia” in the acclaimed TNT series Southland. Crystle is Plains Cree from the Hobbema/Enoch First Nation
Who was your inspiration when you were growing up?
My mother was a huge inspiration for me because she was a single mother and picked up her whole life in Edmonton and decided to move to Los Angeles to study acting. She was a great example and role model as far as taking charge of your life and not just settling into the norm.
From an MC perspective, I love Lauryn Hill from the Fugees. She is very political. She rhymes about life and not just diamonds, cars, and money. She’s real and an activist. As for actresses, I like Angelina Jolie because she is a humanitarian, as well as an amazing actress. She does a lot of beautiful things for people that are less fortunate in the world. She is also great at what she does.
Were there any issues you dealt with as a young person that you see young people dealing with today?
The difference is kind of large because I grew up in Los Angeles from the time I was eight. I do remember someof the things that went on in the First Nations community, where the suicide rate and substance abuse are huge issues.
I went through my own struggles as a teenager, not growing up with a father. My grandmother helped raise us. We kind of didn’t have that guidance from a male . . . that was a struggle. There were gangs and the regular teenage struggles with peer pressure.
What role should our traditions and cultures have in the lives of our first nations youth?
Our language is one of the most important things. I would say writing, reading, and speaking our language. It should be taught in every single school and it should be mandatory. Also, there should be the opportunity for ceremony and prayer. Through music we are able to share our experiences. We have power to express positivity and our culture.
what advice would you give to young athletes and potential leaders in the communities?
Study your favourite artists and athletes. Read about them. Shape your craft. You have to work on it every single day. Nothing is just going to come and knock on your door and say, “Hi, here’s your dream. Just hop on the boat.” You have to work for it. Do you think Michael Jordan was just sitting at home watching TV and eating cereal? And then was like, “Okay, I am going to go play basketball and be number one.” No, he worked at it twelve hours a day and was a monster about it.
If you are an aspiring actress, go take some classes, read some books on acting—even if you don’t have any money. Study your favourite artists on YouTube. For a singer, practise every day in the shower. Sing in front of your family to get all those hibbie gibbies out if you have stage fright. If you are a rapper, memorize your favourite rappers’ verses. Practise, practise and practise. Hard work always pays off, no matter what we do.
If you are putting energy and hours into it, if you are really putting your heart and soul into it, something will come about. Maybe you are not meant to be famous, but you’re meant to be a teacher, a vocal coach, or a basketball coach. Or maybe you’re meant to go straight for the big leagues. The most important thing is, you’re passionate about it.
if you had one message to send to the native community of north america, what would it be?
Don’t follow your dreams, chase them! Nothing is going to come knocking at your door. When you are chasing your dreams, you are going to do whatever is possible to obtain your goal. I just love that.
What is the role of a leader in the community?
Someone who leads by example. Someone who actually walks the walk. For example, if someone says they don’t drink, then they really don’t drink. Someone who is taking risksto change things in a positive way. That’s pretty basic, but unfortunately a lot of leaders act in corrupted ways. They say one thing and then do another.
Red Cloud and I do a lot of work with the community to show what is possible, from where we came from. We just love doing this, because when you see the look in young people’s eyes switch, because you are instilling hope into their hearts, it is the best feeling in the whole world. It’s amazing, and medicine for us as well. There is a responsibility that comes with being an artist. You have to share your story with people and let them experience it through you. It’s a responsibility you have to live up to.
What is your vision for your community?
I really want to see more workshops and after school activities for the younger ones. How are you going to know if you have a talent if there are no programs in your community that give you the chance to experience that? For example, dancing, singing, rapping, writing, physical activities. One of the big problems is our young people are bored. So what happens when young people are bored? Sometimes they go the other way, and what they consider fun is usually negative. So my vision is to see all these troubling statistics drop way down. They are getting way too high and it’s really sad. It is partly the responsibility of the community to bring these programs to our young people.
Why is education important for our young people and their communities?
Education is the most important thing. People without an education don’t really go far. There is power in educationand power in reading. Anyone you look up to in a high position has an education. Anyone with a solid career has an education, and that’s especially true for our people. Again the statistics: we want to get the numbers up of successful Native people, and without education we can’t get out of that hole. We have to take advantage of the privilege of the funding we have—the opportunity to use it towards education. It really is about if you want it or not.
Did you have to overcome specific challenges to get to where you are today?
I had to give up time with family, both here and in Canada. When you’re doing something full force you are in rehearsal every day. You are working at your craft every day, so sometimes your social life suffers. You don’t always get to hang out with your friends and do fun things.
My mother was also a full-time student and she was gonea lot studying, so my grandmother helped raise me. I didn’t have a father figure, so a big challenge for me was I didn’t have the right kind of guidance at times. Some of my time was wasted as a youth and in my early twenties, trying to find my way and trying to figure it out what I really needed to do.
Something that I wish I could have had was more of my Cree culture. I grew up in a Mexican community, so I wish I’d gotten to know my language, read and write in my language. I wish I’d had a little more guidance.
It wasn’t always candy roses. Things weren’t always paved out for me. I really did have to find my own way in life and figure it out, But once I did, I hit the pavement like you’ve never seen before. Once I figured out what my talents were, I went for it.
What is the story behind your story?
As far as my acting career, I studied at the Beverly Hills Playhouse for five years. I was constantly taking acting class, and had to have self-discipline to do that. My mother was a big part of it. My mom was our coach growing up. She was acting as well.
As far as being a DJ, I got a job and saved up every single penny I had for two years so I could get my own turntables.I had my own turntables to practise every single day and there was no going out, no hanging out with my friends . . . a lot of sacrifice in that way. Temptation is huge, but you can’t feed into that temptation. It’s those individuals who put their whole hearts into their dreams who make it.
