A Rocky Cree man belonging to Peter Ballantyne Cree Nation (PBCN), Joel D. Montgrand grew up in Treaty 6 and Treaty 10 territories in Northern Saskatchewan. When he was 19 he began travelling and worked a variety of jobs around the world until he finally landed on acting in 2013. He walked into his agent's office with barely any film experience, no headshots or resume, but still somehow convinced them to sign him. Booking 4 of his first 5 auditions, he knew he had found something worth pursuing. He's best known for his role as Eddie Qavvik on HBO's "True Detective: Night Country" and playing Hakoda on "Avatar: The Last Airbender" live action series on Netflix. He is also the host and creator of "Actors and Ancestors", a film and TV podcast dedicated to uplifting Indigenous actors.