Native American models and actors: much more than pretty faces - Part  II

1- Moses J. Brings Plenty is Oglala Lakota born on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in South Dakota; he is fluent in the Lakota language, culture and traditions. He is a gifted musician, actor, model and spokesperson. He dedicates much of his time traveling throughout the United States speaking on matters and issues that are close to his heart. As a Lakota, Moses lives and nurtures his vision for the future of tribal America.

Moses is an advocate for Indian elders and youth. He is proactive, and a visionary, about what he as a person, and as an artist, has to offer to the continuation and revitalization of his culture and traditions by giving presentations on the Lakota values of life. As a spiritual leader, he works toward helping the people through traditional ceremony and prayer to provide and build for the youth, a way of life that so many who have come before him have sacrificed to create.

As an actor, he has worked in television, film and theatre. Film credits include: Rez Bomb, Hidalgo, Pirates of the Caribbean, The History Channel's Comanche Warrior...

2- Tatanka Means is an award-winning actor, stand-up comedian and motivational speaker from Chinle, Arizona. He represents the Oglala Lakota, Omaha and Navajo Nations. His most recent movie credits include feature films The Host, A Million Ways to Die in The West with director Seth Macfarlane, and in his role as “Wolf” in, Tiger Eyes, based upon the acclaimed novel by author, Judy Blume. His performance for this breakout role was well received including positive reviews from Rolling Stone Magazine. Means won Best Actor awards at multiple film festivals for this role.


Tatanka’s ambition and perseverance has taken him from his home on the reservation to traveling across North America. He has become a much-needed role model for all American Indian First Nations youth. Tatanka is proud to be a sober performer.


3- Edward "Eddie" Spears is a member of the Kul Wicasa Oyate Lakota Lower Brulé Tribe of South Dakota. Spears attended and was a mentor at the 2nd annual HatcH Audiovisual Festival in Bozeman, Montana. HatcH is a film and arts festival whose mission is to provide mentorship, education, inspiration, and recognition to the next generation of creative innovators.


Spears and his brother Michael have also been active with Native Wind and the COUP (Intertribal Council on Utility Policy) Native Energy, of which their father Pat Spears was formerly president. Personal Quotes:"Believe in yourself, anything is possible no matter who you are ,or where you come from. Find your path and stay on it."





4- Cody Jones: Actor and stuntman Cody Jones, an enrolled Eastern Shoshone of the Wind River Indian Reservation, grew up on a ranch in Wyoming and in Texas. When not acting, Cody enjoys spending time with his grandfather working with horses on the family ranch and driving across the country to enjoy its beauty. On television, Cody recently starred in an episode of “Deadliest Warrior,” where he played the Jaguar in “Aztec Jaguar vs. Zande Warrior.” He also appeared in a second “Deadliest Warrior” episode, “Comanche vs. Mongol.”





5- Larry Yazzie is an actor and executive, known for No Blood of Mine (2016), Grey Owl (1999) and Older Than America (2008). Raised on the Meskwaki Indian Settlement in central Iowa, Larry Yazzie immersed in the traditional ways of the Meskwaki people

Larry Yazzie’s world is vibrant—colorful, alive and beautiful. That energy inspired him to pick up his dancing shoes at the age of 7. Now 45, this multi-talented dancer, singer, educator and international lecturer has become a much sought–after performer here and abroad—a de facto Native cultural ambassador.



6- Gerald Auger is an actor, known for Luna (2007), DreamKeeper (2003) and Hell on Wheels: L'Enfer de l'Ouest (2011). Auger is an actor, producer, writer, entrepreneur and motivational speaker from Alberta, Canada, of Woodland Cree descent. In 1996 and 1997 Auger was awarded the National Native Role Model by the Governor General of Canada and spent the next two years visiting more than 30 communities across Canada, inspiring his aboriginal peers, relating stories about his experiences and bonding with locals through cultural events and ceremonies.