Johnnie Jae (Otoe-Missouria and Choctaw) is a journalist, artist, speaker, and the founder of Red Pop! News, a media outlet that celebrates Indigenous joy, pop culture, and power through stories that honor the brilliance of Indigenous creativity across generations and reclaiming the contributions too often erased, ignored, or appropriated. Affectionately known as the “Brown Ball of Fury,” Johnnie blends unapologetic truth-telling with humor and heart to challenge stereotypes and amplify Indigenous brilliance in every space she enters.
As a disabled Indigiqueer woman with lupus, Johnnie brings a powerful intersectional lens to their work, rooted in lived experience and community care. Johnnie is a nationally recognized speaker and workshop facilitator, offering transformative sessions on Indigenous media sovereignty, disability justice, mental health, cultural revitalization, digital safety, and the healing power of storytelling. Their workshops are known for creating spaces of connection, empowerment, and deep cultural grounding.
Johnnie has led and contributed to numerous national efforts to uplift Indigenous voices and narratives throughout their career. They founded A Tribe Called Geek, a groundbreaking, award-winning platform celebrating Indigenous geek culture and STEM throughout its 11-year run. They also co-founded Not Your Mascots and LiveIndigenousOK and was a founding member of the Fan Organizer Coalition. Johnnie served on the Culture Forward National Advisory Editorial Board, which developed strength-based mental health resources for Native youth. They also served as a Co-Chair for the March for Racial Justice, helping mobilize thousands across the U.S. in a call for racial equity and justice.
Johnnie is a Board Member of Crushing Colonialism and a Coordinating Council Member and Co-Lead of the Sharing the Story Committee for Walking in the Footsteps of Our Ancestors, an initiative focused on healing, reconnection, and truth-telling for the Otoe-Missouria people. They are also a registered artist with the Choctaw Nation and a featured artist with Eighth Generation, where their work celebrates the beauty, strength, and survivance of Indigenous creativity.
Through every platform they build and every story they tell, Johnnie Jae is creating space for Indigenous futures that are bold, joyful, and indomitable.
