Floyd Red Crow Westerman
| Floyd "Red Crow" Westerman | |
|---|---|
Westerman aka Kanghi Duta
|
|
| Born |
Floyd Westerman August 17, 1936 Lake Traverse Indian Reservation, South Dakota, U.S. |
| Died | December 13, 2007 (aged 71) Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, California, U.S. |
| Cause of death | Leukemia |
| Resting place | Saint Matthew's Catholic Cemetery, Veblen, South Dakota, U.S. |
| Other names | Kanghi Duta |
| Occupation | Actor, artist, musician |
| Years active | 1988–2007 |
| Spouse(s) | Rosie Westerman |
| Children | 5 |
Floyd Westerman, also known as Kanghi Duta i.e. "Red Crow" in Dakota (August 17, 1936 – December 13, 2007), was a Sioux musician, political activist, and actor. After establishing a career as a country music singer, later in his life, he became a leading actor depicting Native Americans in American films and television. He is sometimes credited simply as Floyd Westerman. He worked as a political activist for Native American causes.
He was born Floyd Westerman (Kanghi Duta) on the Lake Traverse Indian Reservation, home of the Sisseton Wahpeton Oyate, a federally recognized tribe. It is one of the tribes of the Eastern Dakota subgroup of the Great Sioux Nation, living within the U.S. state of South Dakota.Kanghi Duta means "Red Crow" in Dakota (one of the three Sioux related languages).
At the age of 10, Westerman was sent to the Wahpeton Boarding School, where he first met Dennis Banks (who as an adult became a leader of the American Indian Movement). There Westerman and other boys were forced to cut their traditionally long hair and forbidden to speak their native languages. This experience would profoundly impact Westerman's later life. As an adult, he championed his own heritage.
He graduated from Northern State University with a B.A. degree in secondary education. He served two years in the US Marines, before beginning his career as a singer.
Before entering films and television, Westerman had established a solid reputation as a country-western music singer. His recordings offer a probing analysis of European influences in Native American communities. In addition to several solo recordings, Westerman collaborated with Jackson Browne, Willie Nelson, Bonnie Raitt, Harry Belafonte,Joni Mitchell, Kris Kristofferson, and Buffy Sainte-Marie. In the 1990s, he toured with Sting to raise funds to preserve rain forests.
...
Wikipedia