Tatanka Means facts for kids

Tatanka Wanbli Sapa Xila Sabe Means (born February 19, 1985) is an American actor and comedian. He comes from several Native American nations, including Oglala Lakota, Omaha, Yankton Dakota, and Diné. He is well-known for his roles in movies like Killers of the Flower Moon and the TV series The Son.

Tatanka Means' Acting Journey

Tatanka Means started his acting career in 2004. His first role was as a stunt double in the film Black Cloud. He had trained as a boxer in the same gym where the movie was filmed.

Early Roles and Notable Performances

Means has played important characters in many films and TV shows.

• In the miniseries Into the West (2005), he played the famous Native American leader Crazy Horse.
• In More Than Frybread (2012), he acted as Buddy Begay. This character was a "hip-hop Navajo fry-bread rock star" who sold food from a truck.
• He also appeared in Tiger Eyes (2012), a movie based on a book by Judy Blume. He played Wolf Ortiz, a Native American boy who shares his culture and ancestral lands with the main character. Critics praised his performance, saying he made the character feel very real and authentic.

Other Film and TV Appearances

Tatanka Means has taken on many other roles.

• He played Hobbamock, a strong Pokanoket warrior, in Saints & Strangers (2015).
• He was Delvin in Neither Wolf Nor Dog (2016).
• He played Charges the Enemy in The Son.
• His other works include The Burrowers (2008), Sedona (2011), The Host (2013), Banshee (2014), A Million Ways to Die in the West (2014), The Night Shift (2014-2015), Maze Runner: The Scorch Trials (2015), and Graves (2016).

In 2019, he appeared in Once Upon a River as Bernard Crane. He also played Rising Wolf in Montford: The Chickasaw Rancher and The Jackrabbit in The Dust Monologues. In the same year, he was cast as Private Thomas Otaktay in a film based on Alex Kershaw's book The Liberator. This role was about a Lakota soldier fighting in the 157th Field Artillery Regiment during World War II.

Tatanka Means is proud to show Native American men as modern and complex individuals. He works to avoid old, unfair stereotypes sometimes seen in movies.

Awards for Acting

Tatanka Means has received several awards for his acting.

• For his role as Wolf in Tiger Eyes, he won Best Supporting Actor at the American Indian Film Festival.
• He also won Best Actor in a Motion Picture at the Red Nation Film Festival for the same role.
• The Santa Fe Independent Film Festival gave him the Tamalewood Award for Tiger Eyes.
• He won Best Actor at the Nevada Film Festival for his part as Jim Sundell in Derby Kings (2012).
• He also received Best Male Actor at the Dreamspeakers Film Festival in Edmonton, Alberta, for Derby Kings.

Tatanka Means as a Comedian

Besides acting, Tatanka Means is also a comedian. He performs with a group called 49 Laughs Comedy. Other members include Pax Harvey, James Junes, Ernie Tsosie ii, and Adrianne Chalepah. His comedy often connects to his Native American background. For example, he jokes about how Native people tease each other and use the phrase “Aaaayyyyeeee" to handle awkward moments.

Entrepreneurial Ventures

In 2011, Tatanka Means was honored with the American Indian Business Leaders (AIBL) Entrepreneur of the Year award. He created his own clothing brand called “Tatanka Clothing.” This brand aims to raise awareness about Native American culture and businesses. In 2006, he was featured in a calendar called 21st Century Skins Native American Men's Calendar, which he also helped to promote.

Tatanka Means' Personal Life

Tatanka Means is one of ten children. His father was Russell Means, a well-known activist from the Oglala Lakota nation. Russell Means was a leader in the American Indian Movement in the 1970s. This movement organized protests to bring attention to Native American issues, civil rights, and the need to honor treaties.

His father, Russell Means, also became an actor later in life. He even appeared in Tiger Eyes, playing the father of Tatanka's character. Russell Means passed away shortly after filming that movie. Tatanka Means carried his father's urn during the funeral.

Tatanka's full Lakota name, Tatanka Wanbli Sapa Xila Sabe, means Black Buffalo Eagle.

He grew up with his mother in Chinle, Arizona, on the Navajo Nation. Today, Tatanka Means lives with his own family in New Mexico. His wife, Christine Means, is a yoga instructor. They have one daughter. Tatanka Means encourages healthy choices and a drug-free lifestyle.

Filmography

Film Roles

Television Roles

Video Game Roles

See also

In Spanish: Tatanka Means para niños