Native American Artists

05/17/2026

Happy 78th Birthday to the legendary Wes Studi! 🎂🪶
A trailblazing Native American actor whose powerful performances and cultural impact have inspired generations. 🌟
Thank you for your unforgettable contributions to cinema and storytelling! 🎬

05/14/2026

I Grow My Hair
Yes, I'm a boy — with gentle pride,
Each strand I grow, a voice that cried.
For those who lost what made them free,
Their songs now live and grow through me.

I wear their dreams upon my head,
For every child, for tears once shed.
Their spirits whisper in the air,
Every Child Matters — I car

05/13/2026

Cheyenne Dog Soldiers
Of all the typical Plains tribes, the Cheyenne were most distinguished for warlike qualities. Few in number, they overcame or held in check most of the peoples who opposed them, and when the westward movement of European civilization began, they made more trouble than all the rest combined. In short, they were preeminently warriors among peoples whose trade was war.
As in other Plains tribes, the warriors of the Cheyenne were organized into societies or …

05/12/2026

05/10/2026

In 2022, groundbreaking DNA research confirmed what the Blackfeet Nation has long known: their ancestors have lived in what is now Montana for an astonishing 18,000 years, long before written history existed. This discovery not only validates the tribe’s oral histories but also highlights the deep and enduring connection Indigenous peoples have to their homelands. The Blackfeet Nation’s presence predates European settlement by millennia, demonstrating a rich cultural legacy that has survived through countless generations. For thousands of years, the Blackfeet people have thrived on the Northern Plains, developing complex societies, traditions, and knowledge systems intricately tied to the land. Their understanding of the environment, seasonal cycles, and wildlife reflects an intimate relationship with Montana’s landscapes that modern science is only beginning to fully appreciate. DNA evidence now provides tangible proof of this continuous lineage, bridging the gap between ancient human history and the stories preserved in Indigenous memory. This revelation is more than just a scientific milestone, it is a profound affirmation of the resilience, history, and identity of the Blackfeet Nation. It reminds the world that history is not only recorded in books and artifacts but also lives on through the people whose ancestors shaped the land for thousands of years. The confirmation of 18,000 years of Blackfeet presence in Montana is a testament to the enduring power of cultural memory and the importance of recognising Indigenous histories in shaping our understanding of the past.

05/08/2026

Billy Walkabout (March 31, 1949 – March 7, 2007) is thought to be the most decorated Native American soldier of the Vietnam War. He received the Distinguished Service Cross, five Silver Stars (one upgraded to a Distinguished Service Cross), ten Bronze Star Medal, five with Valor device, one Army Commendation Medals (including one valor device and two oak leaf clusters), and six Purple Hearts.

Walkabout served as an Army Ranger in Vietnam, in the Company F, 58th Infantry, 101st Airborne Division. Walkabout (then Specialist Four) distinguished himself by exceptionally valorous actions on 20 November 1968 during a long range reconnaissance patrol southwest of Hue.

After successfully ambushing an enemy squad on a jungle trail, the friendly patrol radioed for immediate helicopter extraction. When the extraction helicopters arrived and the lead man began moving toward the pick-up zone, he was seriously wounded by hostile automatic weapons fire. Sergeant Walkabout quickly rose to his feet and delivered steady suppressive fire on the attackers while other team members pulled the wounded man back to their ranks. Sergeant Walkabout then administered first aid to the soldier in preparation for medical evacuation. As the man was being loaded onto the evacuation helicopter, enemy elements again attacked the team.

Maneuvering under heavy fire, Sergeant Walkabout positioned himself where the enemy were concentrating their assault and placed continuous rifle fire on the adversary. A command-detonated mine ripped through the friendly team, instantly killing three men and wounding all the others. Although stunned and wounded by the blast, Sergeant Walkabout rushed from man to man administering first aid, bandaging one soldier’s severe chest wound and reviving another soldier by heart massage. He then coordinated gunship and tactical air strikes on the enemy’s positions. When evacuation helicopters arrived again, he worked single-handedly under fire to board his disabled comrades. Only when the casualties had been evacuated and friendly reinforcements had arrived, did he allow himself to be extracted. He retired as a second lieutenant.

He suffered from complications arising from exposure to the Agent Orange defoliant used in Vietnam. He was waiting for a kidney transplant and took dialysis three times a week. He died of pneumonia and renal failure in a hospital in Norwich, Connecticut, survived by his wife and several children from earlier marriages.

He was honored in a portrait, Walkabout: A Warrior’s Spirit, by Cherokee artist Talmadge Davis.

05/06/2026

White Man Runs Him — Between Two Worlds
Born Crow, known as White Buffalo That Turns Around, White Man Runs Him walked a hard path between duty and destiny. As a scout in 1876, he saw the truth of what lay ahead at Little Bighorn and chose the honor of his people over the uniform of another nation. He wished to die as a warrior, not as a soldier.
He survived the battle, carried its memory home, and lived his life rooted in Crow land, Crow story, and Crow legacy. His voice became history through his descendants, reminding the world that Indigenous truth does not fade.
He did not choose conquest.
He chose identity.
And his name still runs with the land.
Good history of great men

02/23/2026

Hi A'HO