Bryan Akipa facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Bryan Akipa
Akipa after a performance at the National Museum of the American Indian, 2019
Background information
Occupation(s)	Army veteran, elementary teacher, flute maker, champion traditional dancer
Instruments	Native American flute

Bryan Akipa is a talented musician and a member of the Sisseton Wahpeton Oyate tribe. He is well-known for playing the Native American flute. He has released five albums of his own music.

Bryan Akipa is a member of the Dakota tribe. He has been a special performer at A Prairie Awakening. This is an event held every year near Earlham, Iowa, that celebrates Native American culture.

He studied art at the Institute of American Indian Arts. He also learned fine arts from a famous painter named Oscar Howe at the University of South Dakota at Vermillion. Besides music, Bryan Akipa has been an army veteran, an elementary teacher, and he even makes flutes. He is also a champion traditional dancer.

Awards and Recognition

Bryan Akipa's music has received many honors. His albums have been nominated for several Native American Music Awards. These awards are often called "Nammies."

• In 1998, his album The Flute Player was nominated.
• In 1999, Thunder Flute was nominated and was also a finalist for the Indie awards.
• In 2001, his album Eagle Dreams received a nomination.
• In 2002, he was nominated for Best Flutist and Best Male Artist.

He also played on the album My Relatives Say by Mary Louise Defender Wilson. This album won a NAMA award in 2000 for Best Spoken Word recording.

In 2016, Bryan Akipa received a very special award called the National Heritage Fellowship. This award is given by the National Endowment for the Arts. It honors people who are masters of traditional arts in the United States.

His Music Albums

Bryan Akipa has released several albums where he is the main artist. Here are some of his solo albums:

• Mystic Moments (1995)
• Flute Player (1996)
• Thunderflute (1998)
• Eagle Dreams (2001)
• Song of Aspen (2005)