John Trudell

John Trudell (born February 15, 1946) is an American author, poet, musician, and former political activist.

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 governmentFact|date=May 2008. A meeting with Jackson Browne in 1979 introduced him to the musical world. His first album, originally made with brilliant (according to Bob DylanFact|date=May 2008) Kiowa guitarist Jesse Ed Davis and originally available only on cassette tape, was "A.K.A Graffiti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".

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 contributions to film was in the production of "Incident at Oglala", directed by Michael Apted and produced by Robert Redford. A companion piece to "Thunderheart", the 1992 documentary reveals the events at the heart of the movie through an exploration of the 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.Fact|date=May 2008

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 hagiographyFact|date=May 2008.

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 TrudellFact|date=May 2008.

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)

External links

* [http://www.johntrudell.com Official John Trudell website]
* [http://www.trudellthemovie.com The Trudell documentary]
* [http://www.angelfire.com/psy/intheheart/TrudellJohn/tdellindex.html A bunch of text from through the years, including "We Are Power", 1980, and excerpts from _Stickman_ by Paola Igliori with Trudell]
* [http://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2005/04/06/17316871.php Several audio files on indymedia of Trudell]
* [http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/trudell/ Trudell documentary] on Rotten Tomatoes.