John Trudell
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John Trudell (born February 15, 1946) is an American author, poet, musician, and former political activist.
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[edit] Personal background
Trudell was born in Omaha, Nebraska. He is the son of a Santee Sioux father and a Mexican mother. He grew up around the Santee reservation near Omaha. He joined the Navy in 1963 and served in the Vietnam war. After getting out of the military he became involved in Indian activism and became the spokesperson for the Indians of All Tribes occupation of Alcatraz Island. He joined the American Indian Movement and, although not officially voted in, was its national Chairman from 1972 until 1979 after Carter Camp went to jail. In 1979, his mother-in-law, pregnant wife (Tina Manning), and three children were killed in a tragic fire, an event that led him to his "hanging on lines", his spoken word. It is famously believed that his family was murdered by the government[citation needed]. A meeting with Jackson Browne in 1979 introduced him to the musical world. His first album, originally made with brilliant (according to Bob Dylan[citation needed]) Kiowa guitarist Jesse Ed Davis and originally available only on cassette tape, was A.K.A Graffiti Man. In 1992 he remade A.K.A Graffiti Man; more recent endeavors include Blue Indians (1999) and Bone Days.
[edit] Film career
Trudell has worked in a second career as an actor, with roles in Thunderheart (1992), On Deadly Ground (1995) and Smoke Signals (1998). One of his most significant[citation needed] contributions to film was in the production of Incident at Oglala, a documentary produced by Robert Redford back in the mid 1990s. The film traces and reveals facts surrounding the shootout on Pine Ridge Indian Reservation. Trudell played a key role in keeping the movie true to both facts and events of the times[citation needed].
[edit] Trudell the Movie
Filmmaker Heather Rae has spent more than a decade making the documentary, entitled Trudell (2005). Her intent was to utilize Trudell's rich political and cultural life to create a relevant piece that reflected contemporary history and educated and inspired world citizens. This documentary premiered at the 2005 Sundance Film Festival in the U.S. documentary competition.
The movie has received mixed response among film critics and ordinary viewers. Some claim it to be thought-provoking and touching while others accuse Rae's biopic of one-dimensional hagiography[citation needed].
The song at the end of the film is "Johnny Lobo" by Kris Kristofferson from "A Moment of Forever". This song was originally written about John Trudell[citation needed].
[edit] Discography
- 1983 Tribal Voice
- 1986 Original A.K.A. Graffiti Man
- 1987 ...But This Isn't El Salvador
- 1987 Heart Jump Bouquet
- 1991 Fables and Other Realities
- 1992 Child's Voice: Children of the Earth
- 1992 A.K.A. Graffiti Man
- 1994 Johnny Damas & Me
- 1999 Blue Indians
- 2001 Descendant Now Ancestor
- 2001 Bone Days (produced by the actress Angelina Jolie)
- 2007 Madness & The Moremes (double album)
[edit] External links
