Post by blackcrowheart on Nov 18, 2005 23:01:04 GMT -5
Blues and hard times
Posted: November 08, 2005
by: Abbey Thompson / Indian Country Today
The experiences of Mitch Walking Elk
ST. PAUL, Minn. - Singer/songwriter/activist Mitch Walking Elk took the top honors in the Best Blues CD category at the recent Indian Summer Music Awards for his release ''Time for a Woman.'' He recently gave insight from his past to his present-day activities and future plans.
Taking a break from his hectic schedule with the Indigenous People's Network and his latest musical pursuits, Walking Elk spoke from his home in St. Paul in an exclusive and candid interview about his remarkable life and love affair with music. By itself, it's a story worthy of several blues songs.
A member of the Arapaho tribe of Oklahoma (with Cheyenne heritage), Walking Elk grew up among his people. He said, ''I am inspired by life, love, and the failure of it. The early part of my life was really hard.
''I grew up in the white man's institutions. No father figure in the home, and my mother was handicapped. When I was six, I was shipped to the boarding school. My mother, even with all her challenges, knew the right thing to do was to send us so she wouldn't lose custody of us.
''On a conscious level, I developed survivor skills - even though some were negative ones. I've come to know that my clan is the Coyote, who is a survivor as well as a singer. My clan spirit watched over me all those years and continues to help me to this day.''
Walking Elk, 54, went into an orphanage when he was 12 after being in several boarding schools. He spent ages 13 - 15 in the Oklahoma state training school. ''When I was at this institution, I was 13 when I co-wrote my first song, entered a talent show and won first place.''
When he was 16, he spent time in the Oklahoma State Penitentiary. He learned guitar while there and between stints in the Oklahoma State Reformatory. A brief taste of freedom came when he was 19. ''I went back to the state pen when I was 20. When I was 22 I was sentenced to 50 years in Ohio for armed robbery. I had intermittent periods of being released, or else I would escape long enough to get into some real trouble. Those survivor skills were being honed all the time.
''In 1978, I met a man in Sioux Falls, South Dakota by the name of Boyd Bristow, who later went to Nashville and played backup music for Shelly West, dickie Lee and other big-name country stars. He moved back to Sioux Falls and opened a recording studio. He helped me put out my first two recordings, which made me hungry for more. He also helped me realize that making a recording was a reality and not so unreachable.''
Walking Elk pleaded guilty to a domestic abuse charge in the mid-1990s. ''That turned out to be good for me because it presented me with the opportunity to address unresolved issues in my life and to deal with anger, and it helped me understand why I placed myself in situations that were too much for me to deal with appropriately at the time. I benefited from [the incident] greatly and today I am a better man because of it.''
In the late 1990s, he was diagnosed with cancer. ''I went through a series of ceremonies to get well. I never went to the white man's doctor. I was treated and cured in ceremonies. When I run into obstacles or have questions I go to a ceremony, or home to Oklahoma to my friend, teacher/mentor Lee Pedro, who takes care of the southern Arapaho and other tribes, spiritually.''
He is currently employed by the Indigenous Peoples Task Force, which is an HIV/AIDS prevention project within the Native community of the Twin Cities. ''I work for the people on a daily basis. I do outreach, dispense thousands of condoms and safe-sex information. I do trainings about the issues of HIV/AIDS and, at large, do HIV testing. I've been at this job for a year and a half now and it has been a very educational experience!'' He tours on the pow wow circuit in Minnesota and Wisconsin in the summer, and his display table draws smiles from people at each gathering.
''I have suffered through the worst of what the white man's system has to offer, and have come out on the other side tattered and torn, but intact and headed in the right direction. The pipe, Sun Dance, and the sweat lodge saved my life. My commitment to the spirits, the people and myself is to do my utmost to do better than I have in the past.''
A 20-year veteran of the music industry, Walking Elk likes to saturate his protest-flavored music with Latin and blues rhythms and instruments, and the rich variety of languages of his heritage. His travels are reflected in some of his recordings. ''I toured Europe 11 times. I performed in South America, Mexico, Canada, Japan and, of course, the U.S.A. several times.''
Walking Elk is one of that rare breed of musicians who can make the transition from folk to blues to world beat to classic rock with ease. He accomplishes this feat without much effort in his vocals and his accompanying music. ''He's a musician's musician,'' said his close friend and fellow musician Wade Fernandez. ''Mitch is one of my inspirations in music and in life. I have learned a lot from him and wouldn't be where I am right now if it weren't for Mitch's guidance.''
His lyrics are nothing short of brilliant: his years spent as a political and environmental activist echo throughout his work. He supported racial and treaty rights and environmental issues, and will continue the fight. ''I have been on the front lines of those struggles for close to 30 years, including participating in the Longest Walk in 1978, the boat landings in northern Wisconsin in the late 1980s and early '90s, plus places in between. I've done numerous gigs for nothing, or next to it, because that's simply the way it is.''
Walking Elk is knowledgeable when it comes to the subject of musical success. ''It means to be able to make a living from music alone. If I am able to get a hit song along the way and it helps the people and the causes in the process, I'll go for it.''
Posted: November 08, 2005
by: Abbey Thompson / Indian Country Today
The experiences of Mitch Walking Elk
ST. PAUL, Minn. - Singer/songwriter/activist Mitch Walking Elk took the top honors in the Best Blues CD category at the recent Indian Summer Music Awards for his release ''Time for a Woman.'' He recently gave insight from his past to his present-day activities and future plans.
Taking a break from his hectic schedule with the Indigenous People's Network and his latest musical pursuits, Walking Elk spoke from his home in St. Paul in an exclusive and candid interview about his remarkable life and love affair with music. By itself, it's a story worthy of several blues songs.
A member of the Arapaho tribe of Oklahoma (with Cheyenne heritage), Walking Elk grew up among his people. He said, ''I am inspired by life, love, and the failure of it. The early part of my life was really hard.
''I grew up in the white man's institutions. No father figure in the home, and my mother was handicapped. When I was six, I was shipped to the boarding school. My mother, even with all her challenges, knew the right thing to do was to send us so she wouldn't lose custody of us.
''On a conscious level, I developed survivor skills - even though some were negative ones. I've come to know that my clan is the Coyote, who is a survivor as well as a singer. My clan spirit watched over me all those years and continues to help me to this day.''
Walking Elk, 54, went into an orphanage when he was 12 after being in several boarding schools. He spent ages 13 - 15 in the Oklahoma state training school. ''When I was at this institution, I was 13 when I co-wrote my first song, entered a talent show and won first place.''
When he was 16, he spent time in the Oklahoma State Penitentiary. He learned guitar while there and between stints in the Oklahoma State Reformatory. A brief taste of freedom came when he was 19. ''I went back to the state pen when I was 20. When I was 22 I was sentenced to 50 years in Ohio for armed robbery. I had intermittent periods of being released, or else I would escape long enough to get into some real trouble. Those survivor skills were being honed all the time.
''In 1978, I met a man in Sioux Falls, South Dakota by the name of Boyd Bristow, who later went to Nashville and played backup music for Shelly West, dickie Lee and other big-name country stars. He moved back to Sioux Falls and opened a recording studio. He helped me put out my first two recordings, which made me hungry for more. He also helped me realize that making a recording was a reality and not so unreachable.''
Walking Elk pleaded guilty to a domestic abuse charge in the mid-1990s. ''That turned out to be good for me because it presented me with the opportunity to address unresolved issues in my life and to deal with anger, and it helped me understand why I placed myself in situations that were too much for me to deal with appropriately at the time. I benefited from [the incident] greatly and today I am a better man because of it.''
In the late 1990s, he was diagnosed with cancer. ''I went through a series of ceremonies to get well. I never went to the white man's doctor. I was treated and cured in ceremonies. When I run into obstacles or have questions I go to a ceremony, or home to Oklahoma to my friend, teacher/mentor Lee Pedro, who takes care of the southern Arapaho and other tribes, spiritually.''
He is currently employed by the Indigenous Peoples Task Force, which is an HIV/AIDS prevention project within the Native community of the Twin Cities. ''I work for the people on a daily basis. I do outreach, dispense thousands of condoms and safe-sex information. I do trainings about the issues of HIV/AIDS and, at large, do HIV testing. I've been at this job for a year and a half now and it has been a very educational experience!'' He tours on the pow wow circuit in Minnesota and Wisconsin in the summer, and his display table draws smiles from people at each gathering.
''I have suffered through the worst of what the white man's system has to offer, and have come out on the other side tattered and torn, but intact and headed in the right direction. The pipe, Sun Dance, and the sweat lodge saved my life. My commitment to the spirits, the people and myself is to do my utmost to do better than I have in the past.''
A 20-year veteran of the music industry, Walking Elk likes to saturate his protest-flavored music with Latin and blues rhythms and instruments, and the rich variety of languages of his heritage. His travels are reflected in some of his recordings. ''I toured Europe 11 times. I performed in South America, Mexico, Canada, Japan and, of course, the U.S.A. several times.''
Walking Elk is one of that rare breed of musicians who can make the transition from folk to blues to world beat to classic rock with ease. He accomplishes this feat without much effort in his vocals and his accompanying music. ''He's a musician's musician,'' said his close friend and fellow musician Wade Fernandez. ''Mitch is one of my inspirations in music and in life. I have learned a lot from him and wouldn't be where I am right now if it weren't for Mitch's guidance.''
His lyrics are nothing short of brilliant: his years spent as a political and environmental activist echo throughout his work. He supported racial and treaty rights and environmental issues, and will continue the fight. ''I have been on the front lines of those struggles for close to 30 years, including participating in the Longest Walk in 1978, the boat landings in northern Wisconsin in the late 1980s and early '90s, plus places in between. I've done numerous gigs for nothing, or next to it, because that's simply the way it is.''
Walking Elk is knowledgeable when it comes to the subject of musical success. ''It means to be able to make a living from music alone. If I am able to get a hit song along the way and it helps the people and the causes in the process, I'll go for it.''