Doggface208 brings unity & good vibes to American Falls High School Powwow
Doggface208 was introduced to the crowd at the American Falls High School Powwow.
By ROSELYNN YAZZIE
Sho-Ban News
AMERIAN FALLS — Nathan Apodaca, a.k.a. Doggface, is a viral known Tik Tocker who shot to fame for sipping on an Ocean Spray Cran-raspberry while lip syncing to Fleetwood Mac’s “Dreams” and skateboarding on an Idaho Falls road. He attended the American Falls High School powwow on Saturday and was happy to show unity and good vibes.
Apodaca is from the Northern Arapaho Tribe and also Mexican.
He reflected upon life before fame, back when he was homeless and sleeping in a car in a tent by the river. Although he had family, it wasn’t in his nature to stay with them. He also had a job and got by.
He worked for Fort Hall’s Wildland Firefighter crew as a Camp Crew Boss. He got enough money to purchase a trailer and lived in front of Walmart temporarily. It was three or four months after that when his video hit.
His video blew up overnight, it was shared and redone by celebrities like Shakira and Jimmy Fallon, to the regular person on the street.
“Crazy amount of people it touched and I’m just amazed that I reached so many people in the world at a time when we needed it, and now I’m just doing bigger things in life, ya know what I mean?” he said.
Some things he’s got in the works are a Beatbox drink called Cranberry Dreams, he’s also got a future collaboration with Snoop Dogg with specifics yet to be releases. He has his own line of merchandise he’s selling. As well as an investment in a farm in Oregon, called Doggface Farms. Idaho Falls Mayor Rebecca Casper named January 22 Nathan “Doggface208” Apodaca Day.
Apodaca said he’d grounded by his family, his parents and intermediate family. He likes being there for them and taking care of them in every which way they need.
He said, “Just being able to make videos that people see for the feedback that I get from the community, for my soldiers, that’s what I call them, they don’t have to be 420 they can just be soldiers, you know what I mean – I look at them all as equals.”
Apodaca enjoys making videos that bring good feelings to those that many need it. He knows how to laugh at himself and is glad everyone else gets a kick out of it too.
Apodaca said the name “Doggface” was inspired by Nate Dogg, the rapper, which was a name he was called when he was growing up. When Nate Dogg passed away he told everyone not to call him that anymore out of respect for the legend. Instead they started calling him Dogg, which later went to Doggface208.
In many of his videos his family is featured he tells them to forget the haters and just be happy. He said his daughter Mikayla introduced him to Tiktok and his younger daughter Angelia knows all the dances. His daughters thought it was funny when they realized people were sharing his video, at first it was their friends then their teachers.
Apodaca said he hasn't been to a powwow in two years. He usually attends the Fort Hall Festival. Attending the American Falls Powwow gave him a chance to have fun and show love to his heritage and listen to the beat of the drum.
“Every time I hear it it gives me strength inside, the singing and everything and seeing everyone coming together spiritually and just enjoying the time here,” he said.
His message to his soldiers is to love one another and stop the hate. He said don’t listen to it for one thing. It’s just in one ear and out the other. If you don't know them it shouldn’t affect you in anyway. Just live your life and be happy.
“Go out and take 15 seconds, 20 seconds and do a video. Just make yourself happy. You know what I mean. Do something that reminds you of being a kid, anything, something that brings you joy,” he said.
