Floyd "Red Crow" Westerman

One of my favorite Native American actors recently passed away. Floyd Westerman passed away in December from complications of leukemia. Floyd had a very long career in movies, television, and the music industry. My favorite performance was Ten Bears in Dances with Wolves.

Floyd "Red Crow" Westerman was born on the Lake Traverse Reservation, home of the Sisseton-Wahpeton Oyate Dakota (Sioux) in the state of South Dakota. As a youth, he attended an off-reservation elementary school where he was forced to cut his hair and forbidden to speak his native language. This would profoundly impact his later life and his restless pursuit of championing his own heritage. At the age of 10, Floyd was sent to the Wahpeton Boarding School, where he first met Dennis Banks of the American Indian Movement. He earned a degree in secondary education from Northern State University in South Dakota. Floyd spent two years in the United States Marine Corps. Before his entry into acting, Floyd established a solid reputation as a respected country western music singer. His recordings offer trenchant inquiry into European influences on Native American communities. In addition to several recordings of his own, Floyd collaborated with Jackson Browne, Willie Nelson, Bonnie Raitt, Harry Belafonte, Joni Mitchell, Kris Kristofferson and Buffy Sainte-Marie. He toured with Sting in the 1990's to raise funds to preserve rain forests. Floyd was a recognized political advocate for Indian causes, working with the American Indian Movement. In 2000, American Indian Expo named Floyd "Red Crow" Westerman Celebrity of the Year. Among other accolades, he received a Congressional Certificate of Special Recognition, the Award for Generosity by the Americans for Indian Opportunity, was named Cultural Ambassador by the International Indian Treaty Council, received the Lifetime Achievement Award from the City of Los Angeles and Mayor Richard Riordan, and received the Integrity Award from the Multi-Cultural Motion Picture Association. Floyd passed from this life on December 13, 2007 at Cedars Sinai Hospital in Los Angeles from complications of leukemia. He is survived by his wife Rosie, his son Richard Tall Bear Westerman, and four daughters: Chante Westerman of Washington State, Chenoa Westerman of South Dakota, Jennifer Westerman of Arizona and Nicky Jackson of Minneapolis. The Producers, Cast and Crew of COMANCHE MOON would like to dedicate our film to the memory of our esteemed and beloved cast member.

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