As an Indigenous actress who stars in Taylor Sheridan’s critically acclaimed show 1923, Aminah Nieves may best be known for playing Teonna Rainwater alongside Harrison Ford and Helen Mirren. But don’t discount her lesser-known “side gig”—that of a skilled herbalist. “I often say that acting is the thing I was able to choose,” the star shares. “Herbalism is the thing that just was.”
You described Season 2’s press week as “a blur.” What is the glam process like when you are doing all the red carpet events and appearances?
It’s a blur in the best of ways. My team and I refer to ourselves as a band—though when it comes to press events and carpets, it almost feels like an orchestra. There are a lot more people involved, it’s not our sweet, punky four-person band anymore. A lot of actors—or at least my friends—tend to dislike this part of the industry…it usually comes with a lot of anxiety, aka the moment the ensemble steps out on stage, and the out-of-rhythm steps clashing against the wooden floor.
Then, you sometimes have one or two fittings with your stylist—the sound that ripples through your body as everyone starts to become one with the task at hand, the vision, maybe a squeak or two, but they’re settling into the musical ride you’re about to experience. Your glam team comes in, and in my case, the mood boards start to go crazy, and everything finally starts to come together and the excitement takes over.
Halfway through the performance, you see the finished product, you step into this bubble of confiDANCE, you go do the interviews, you go walk the carpet in the most uncomfortable shoes known to man, you get back to the hotel, take a breath, see a burger and fries waiting for you and realize how blessed you are! That’s when you have the desire to do it all over again. The last note echoes in the theatre…that fuzzy feeling of pure bliss, of being alive. It is pure chaos but in the most orchestrated way.
What do you do after all of that to relax?
Like I said, I celebrate with an immediate burger and fries! Every single time. Followed by a hot shower and, if I’m lucky, a little bath after that. I’m very big on self-care and self-touch…intentional touch like massaging my legs, taking time to do an extensive womb massage to recenter and ground, etc. If I’ve ended, and it is still the day, I will go to the hotel spa and meditate for as long as I possibly can.
Are there any beauty, skin care or hair products that are go-tos on set or in your own self-care?
Oh, absolutely, yes. I need my Tatcha lip mask ($29) close by before and after I wrap. For Teonna, she is dehydrated naturally, so I never really use product during the shoot, but I always make sure to slap it on the second they yell WRAP! My daily lineup is [a] red light mask, some type of face massager for lymphatic drainage, heated eye pads, OAUI leave-in hair conditioner ($30) and sunscreen! I think we used the Kosas tinted sunscreen ($40) for Teonna, mixed with a little face lotion and it was perfect. I use a lot of skin-care products…but that would need an entire video to explain!
What can fans look forward to for Teonna next?
Teonna is initially very different from where fans last saw her. She has softened up a bit because she is finally able to experience trust again. I think so many fans had a very hard time dealing with the atrocities Teonna was moving through, some even finding it hard to watch…so the beginning of the series is a much-needed moment of remembrance for Teonna. She is remembering how to be a daughter, a friend, a young Apsaaloke woman.
What else are you excited for work-wise and in your personal life this year?
In this moment, I am doing a big move to the south. I am so excited to create this sacred, special little space of peace and refuge for my child self and my loved ones. Having a home with more than two bedrooms is mind-blowing to me. I’m fully aware of the impact this new home will bring to my career, which I hope is multiplied with abundance in all areas and deep creative exploration. I cannot wait to chew on some more mind-bending, action-packed scripts, but I would also love to explore comedy, theatre, thriller. All of it; I’m excited to surprise y’all and myself!
And then you also have a big interest in natural medicine. How did you get into herbalism?
I come from land tenders on both sides. We grew up with a remedy for everything, someone somewhere always had one. It was almost a no-brainer for me to go off and gain a more extensive education on all that being a person of medicine (herbalism) is. It’s more than just the study of plants, it’s a complete lifestyle that is rooted in traditional ways and medicine. Herbalism helped me reconnect even deeper to who I am as a Taino/Coahuiltecan woman while also giving me control of my own health. I was a sick kid growing up, but being able [to] study every inch of what this world has to offer in regards to natural medicine, I was able to really heal myself and gain my quality of life back.
How do you use all of that in your day-to-day?
It just is, it simply is my life. I walk in this way every single day. I often say that acting is the thing I was able to choose, whereas herbalism is the thing that just was. It is who I am as an Indigenous woman, and it’s who my future cubs will be. My routines are extensive, and there’s not a moment that passes where I am without something connecting me back to the medicine of these lands. I think you just wake up and realize you, too, are the medicine, and you have the choice to decide what it is you’re going to do with that information. For me, I run full speed with that information and don’t ever look back.
