Kevin Edward Locke (Lakota name: Tȟokéya Inážiŋ, meaning "The First to Arise"; June 23, 1954 – September 30, 2022) was of Lakota descent of the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe and Anishinaabe of White Earth. He was a preeminent player of the Native American flute, a traditional storyteller, cultural ambassador, recording artist and educator. He was best-known for his hoop dance, The Hoop of Life.
Born on June 23, 1954,[1] in Los Angeles, CA. At the age of five years Locke moved north with his family, later to settle in South Dakota on the Standing Rock Reservation in 1966. It was from his mother, Patricia Locke, his uncle Abraham End-of-Horn, mentor Joe Rock Boy, and many other elders and relatives that Kevin received training in the values, traditions and language of his native Sioux culture.
Locke came from a distinguished family. His great-great-grandfather was the Dakota patriot, Little Crow. His great-grandmother, Mniyáta Ožáŋžaŋ Wiŋ, was a medicine woman. His maternal grandfather was from the White Earth Indian Reservation. His mother, Patricia Locke, was an activist for Indian rights and recognition. His great-grandfather, Bishop Charles Edward Locke, presided over the funeral of U.S. President William McKinley in Buffalo, New York in 1901.[2] The Bishop had known McKinley from boyhood in Canton, Ohio. Although he was white, he was the president of the local branch of the NAACP and the author of Is the Negro Making Good? or, Have Fifty Years of History Vindicated the Wisdom of Abraham Lincoln in Issuing the Emancipation Proclamation?[3]
Locke attended the Institute of American Indian Arts in New Mexico for high school. He received a bachelor of science degree in Elementary Education from the University of North Dakota and earned a master's degree in educational administration from the University of South Dakota.[4] He taught himself to speak Lakota, his ancestral language, as a young adult. Locke learned the hoop dance, which had nearly died out, from Arlo Good Bear, a Mandan Hidatsa Indian from North Dakota.[5]
Locke, like his mother before him, was widely-known for his work in Lakota language and cultural preservation.[6]
When asked in 2012 about his mission in life, Locke said: "All of the people have the same impulses, spirits, and goals. Through my music and dance, I want to create a positive awareness of oneness of humanity."[7] Locke died on September 30, 2022 at the age of 68, after an asthma attack.[6][8]
CareerEdit
Locke performing a Hoop Dance at the 2016 Ralph Rinzler Memorial Concert, Smithsonian Folklife festival
Locke learned the hoop dance, which had nearly died out, from Arlo Good Bear, a Mandan Hidatsa Indian from North Dakota. From 1978, he traveled to more than 90 countries to perform[9] and continued to perform, such as in September 2014[10] and most recently in March 2016.[11] His performances usually consisted of flute playing, singing Lakota songs (some in English), and demonstrations of the Sioux hoop dance, using 28 wooden hoops. Of his presentations, Locke has said "I see myself strictly as a preservationist.... I base my repertoire on the old songs. I try to show younger people what was there, and maybe some of the younger people will pick up from there and compose new music."[4] His international performances of recent included Malaysia Rainforest Festival (2018), 9th International Sefika Kutluer Festival: East Meets West in Ankara Turkey (2018), Arte Dule Indigenous Festival in Panama City, Panama (2019) and public concerts in Winterthur and Nonam Museum in Zurich, Switzerland (2020).
Locke was frequently cited as an ambassador of Native American culture to the United States and the world.[6] He was also active on the board of directors of the Lakota Language Consortium, a non-profit organization working towards the Lakota language revitalization.[6] He was also on the advisory board of the World Flute Society and the Founding President and Creative Director of the Patricia Locke Foundation (https://patricialockefoundation.org/).
2009 Native American Music Awards, Album of the Year (Earth Gift)[15]
2009 Independent Music Awards Vox Pop World Traditional Album Winner for First Lightning
2009 Bush Foundation Enduring Vision Award[13][16]
2013 Living Indian Treasure awarded by the Governor of South Dakota
2013 National Storytelling Network Circle of Excellence Award
2017, 2018 Mid Atlantic Arts Foundation USArtist International Awardee
2019 First Peoples Fund Cultural Capital Fellow
2019 South Dakota Arts Council, Artist Fellowship
2020 United States Artists Fellowship
2020 International Academy for Human Sciences and Culture Peace Prize[17]
2021 First Peoples Fund Cultural Capital Fellow
RecordingsEdit
From 1982, Locke recorded 13 albums of music and stories, including:
Dream Catcher as Tokeya Inajin (July 13, 1993)
Keepers of the Dream ( June 27, 1995)
Love Songs of the Lakota (September 29, 1995)
The Flood and Other Lakota Stories (The Parabola Storytime Series) Harper Audio (March 1996)
The Flash in the Mirror (April 2, 1996)
Open Circle (Oct 15, 1996)
The First Flute (July 27, 1999) — won the Native American Music Award for Best Traditional Recording.
Midnight Strong Heart (January 1, 2003)
Lightning and Wind (September 7, 2015)
PublicationsEdit
Arising, Wilmette, IL : Baha'i Publishing, 2018
Lakota Hoop Dancer, with Suzanne Haldane and Jacqueline Left Hand Bull, Dutton Juvenile; 1st edition (May 1, 1999).[18]
Real Dakota! : About Dakota by Dakotans! : The life, people & history of the Dakotas by the people who know and love it! by Kevin Locke, Tempe, AZ : Blue Bird Pub., 1988.
FilmsEdit
Songkeepers (1999, 48 min.). Directed by Bob Hercules and Bob Jackson. Produced by Dan King. Lake Forest, Illinois: America's Flute Productions. Five distinguished traditional flute artists - Tom Mauchahty-Ware, Sonny Nevaquaya, R. Carlos Nakai, Hawk Littlejohn, Kevin Locke – talk about their instrument and their songs and the role of the flute and its music in their tribes.[19]
Further readingEdit
Pauline Tuttle (2001). ""Beyond Feathers and Beads" - Interlocking Narratives in the Music and Dance of Tokeya Inahim (Kevin Locke)". In Carter Jones Meyer; Diana Royer (eds.). Selling the Indian: Commercializing & Appropriating American Indian Cultures. University of Arizona Press. ISBN978-0-8165-2148-7.
^Govenar, Alan (2001). "Kevin Locke: Native American Lakota Flute Player and Hoop Dancer (Hunkpapa Sioux)". Masters of Traditional Arts: A Biographical Dictionary. Vol. 2 (K-Z). Santa Barbara, California: ABC-Clio. pp. 364–365. ISBN1576072401. OCLC 47644303.
^"Charles E. Locke, Retired Bishop, 82; Former Methodist Leader Read McKinley Funeral Prayer". The New York Times. March 5, 1940.
^Locke, Charles Edward (1913). Is the Negro Making Good? or, Have Fifty Years of History Vindicated the Wisdom of Abraham Lincoln in Issuing the Emancipation Proclamation?. Cincinnati: The Methodist Book Concern. OCLC 981903094. (with foreword by W. E. B. DuBois. See also The Online Books Page; Online Books by Charles Edward Locke, (Locke, Charles Edward, 1858-1940)
^ ab"Kevin Locke: Lakota Flute Player/Singer/Dancer". www.arts.gov. National Endowment for the Arts. n.d. Retrieved December 9, 2020.
^"Hoop dancing and world citizenship: meet Kevin Locke". One Country. Vol. 8, no. 2. Baháʼí International Community. July–September 1996. Retrieved January 2, 2018.
^ abcdGenzlinger, Neil (October 9, 2022). "Kevin Locke, Who Worked to Preserve Lakota Culture, Dies at 68". The New York Times. Retrieved October 9, 2022.
^Kevin Locke Elevating Human Spirit Through Music and Dance, IndianCountryTodayMediaNetwork.com, by Tish Leizens, Dec 16, 2012
^Heemstra, Jody (October 3, 2022). "Acclaimed Native American flute player, hoop dancer Kevin Locke has died". Retrieved October 3, 2022.
^Springer, Patrick (October 2, 2022). "Kevin Locke, renowned Native American hoop dancer and flute player from Standing Rock, dies at age 68". Inforum. Retrieved October 2, 2020.
^Students Learn Native American Culture at the Belle 2014-09-06 at the Wayback Machine, KFYR-TV News, By TaTiana Cash, Sep 05, 2014 12:39 AM EDT
^Schkloven, Emma (February 25, 2016). "Native American artist Kevin Locke bringing traditional dance, storytelling to Sweet Briar". The News & Advance. Lynchburg, VA. Retrieved January 2, 2018.
^ ab. www.arts.gov. National Endowment for the Arts. Archived from the original on May 19, 2020. Retrieved December 8, 2020.
^ abc"[Site Search]". www.bushfoundation.org. Bush Foundation. 2017. Retrieved January 1, 2018.
^Webb, Jaci (February 25, 2010). "Kevin Locke and his ensemble celebrate tribal culture through dance, music". The Billings Gazette. Billings, MT. Retrieved January 1, 2018.
^"Wakpala man receives grant". Capitol Journal. Pierre, SD. June 15, 2009. Retrieved January 1, 2018.
^"Kevin Locke Named 2020 Peace Prize Awardee". Kevinlocke.com. September 12, 2020. Retrieved October 2, 2020.
^"Work by Jacqueline Left Hand Bull". Publications, Alumni Writers. Evergreen State College. Retrieved November 9, 2012.
^Joyce-Grendahl, Kathleen. . worldflutes.org. Suffolk: International Native American Flute Association. Archived from the original on March 3, 2006. Retrieved August 13, 2010. And: . Archived from the original on September 1, 2006. Retrieved February 19, 2008..
Celebrating the Circles That Signify Our Lives By Jennifer Dunning January 21, 2008
Seattle Times:Telling stories, saving heritage through dance
Everett Herald: Lakota dancer reaches out to kids
August 31, 2023
kevin, locke, musician, kevin, edward, locke, lakota, name, tȟokéya, inážiŋ, meaning, first, arise, june, 1954, september, 2022, lakota, descent, standing, rock, sioux, tribe, anishinaabe, white, earth, preeminent, player, native, american, flute, traditional,. Kevin Edward Locke Lakota name Tȟokeya Inaziŋ meaning The First to Arise June 23 1954 September 30 2022 was of Lakota descent of the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe and Anishinaabe of White Earth He was a preeminent player of the Native American flute a traditional storyteller cultural ambassador recording artist and educator He was best known for his hoop dance The Hoop of Life Kevin LockeTȟokeya InaziŋLocke in 2016 photo entitled First to AwakenBornTȟokeya Inaziŋ 1954 06 23 June 23 1954Los Angeles CA USADiedSeptember 30 2022 2022 09 30 aged 68 Hill City South Dakota U S Occupation s Musician storyteller educator Contents 1 Biography 2 Career 3 Awards and honors 4 Recordings 4 1 Publications 4 2 Films 5 Further reading 6 See also 7 References 8 External links 8 1 ReviewsBiography EditBorn on June 23 1954 1 in Los Angeles CA At the age of five years Locke moved north with his family later to settle in South Dakota on the Standing Rock Reservation in 1966 It was from his mother Patricia Locke his uncle Abraham End of Horn mentor Joe Rock Boy and many other elders and relatives that Kevin received training in the values traditions and language of his native Sioux culture Locke came from a distinguished family His great great grandfather was the Dakota patriot Little Crow His great grandmother Mniyata Ozaŋzaŋ Wiŋ was a medicine woman His maternal grandfather was from the White Earth Indian Reservation His mother Patricia Locke was an activist for Indian rights and recognition His great grandfather Bishop Charles Edward Locke presided over the funeral of U S President William McKinley in Buffalo New York in 1901 2 The Bishop had known McKinley from boyhood in Canton Ohio Although he was white he was the president of the local branch of the NAACP and the author of Is the Negro Making Good or Have Fifty Years of History Vindicated the Wisdom of Abraham Lincoln in Issuing the Emancipation Proclamation 3 Locke attended the Institute of American Indian Arts in New Mexico for high school He received a bachelor of science degree in Elementary Education from the University of North Dakota and earned a master s degree in educational administration from the University of South Dakota 4 He taught himself to speak Lakota his ancestral language as a young adult Locke learned the hoop dance which had nearly died out from Arlo Good Bear a Mandan Hidatsa Indian from North Dakota 5 Locke like his mother before him was widely known for his work in Lakota language and cultural preservation 6 When asked in 2012 about his mission in life Locke said All of the people have the same impulses spirits and goals Through my music and dance I want to create a positive awareness of oneness of humanity 7 Locke died on September 30 2022 at the age of 68 after an asthma attack 6 8 Career Edit nbsp Locke performing a Hoop Dance at the 2016 Ralph Rinzler Memorial Concert Smithsonian Folklife festivalLocke learned the hoop dance which had nearly died out from Arlo Good Bear a Mandan Hidatsa Indian from North Dakota From 1978 he traveled to more than 90 countries to perform 9 and continued to perform such as in September 2014 10 and most recently in March 2016 11 His performances usually consisted of flute playing singing Lakota songs some in English and demonstrations of the Sioux hoop dance using 28 wooden hoops Of his presentations Locke has said I see myself strictly as a preservationist I base my repertoire on the old songs I try to show younger people what was there and maybe some of the younger people will pick up from there and compose new music 4 His international performances of recent included Malaysia Rainforest Festival 2018 9th International Sefika Kutluer Festival East Meets West in Ankara Turkey 2018 Arte Dule Indigenous Festival in Panama City Panama 2019 and public concerts in Winterthur and Nonam Museum in Zurich Switzerland 2020 In 1990 he received a National Heritage Fellowship from the National Endowment for the Arts the highest award granted to such traditional artists 12 In 2009 he won the Bush Foundation Enduring Vision Award 13 In 2020 he received the news of being awarded the prestigious United States Artist Fellowship https patricialockefoundation org united states artists announces 2020 usa fellows In April 2006 he performed with Joanne Shenandoah in the photography exhibition Sacred Legacy Edward S Curtis and the North American Indian at Cemal Resit Rey Concert Hall and MEB Sura Concert Hall in Istanbul 14 Locke was frequently cited as an ambassador of Native American culture to the United States and the world 6 He was also active on the board of directors of the Lakota Language Consortium a non profit organization working towards the Lakota language revitalization 6 He was also on the advisory board of the World Flute Society and the Founding President and Creative Director of the Patricia Locke Foundation https patricialockefoundation org Awards and honors Edit1988 Bush Foundation Fellowship 13 1990 National Heritage Fellowship 12 1999 Native American Music Awards Best Traditional Recording The First Flute 2009 Native American Music Awards Album of the Year Earth Gift 15 2009 Independent Music Awards Vox Pop World Traditional Album Winner for First Lightning 2009 Bush Foundation Enduring Vision Award 13 16 2013 Living Indian Treasure awarded by the Governor of South Dakota 2013 National Storytelling Network Circle of Excellence Award 2017 2018 Mid Atlantic Arts Foundation USArtist International Awardee 2019 First Peoples Fund Cultural Capital Fellow 2019 South Dakota Arts Council Artist Fellowship 2020 United States Artists Fellowship 2020 International Academy for Human Sciences and Culture Peace Prize 17 2021 First Peoples Fund Cultural Capital FellowRecordings EditFrom 1982 Locke recorded 13 albums of music and stories including Dream Catcher as Tokeya Inajin July 13 1993 Keepers of the Dream June 27 1995 Love Songs of the Lakota September 29 1995 The Flood and Other Lakota Stories The Parabola Storytime Series Harper Audio March 1996 The Flash in the Mirror April 2 1996 Open Circle Oct 15 1996 The First Flute July 27 1999 won the Native American Music Award for Best Traditional Recording Midnight Strong Heart January 1 2003 Lightning and Wind September 7 2015 Publications Edit Arising Wilmette IL Baha i Publishing 2018 Lakota Hoop Dancer with Suzanne Haldane and Jacqueline Left Hand Bull Dutton Juvenile 1st edition May 1 1999 18 Real Dakota About Dakota by Dakotans The life people amp history of the Dakotas by the people who know and love it by Kevin Locke Tempe AZ Blue Bird Pub 1988 Films Edit Songkeepers 1999 48 min Directed by Bob Hercules and Bob Jackson Produced by Dan King Lake Forest Illinois America s Flute Productions Five distinguished traditional flute artists Tom Mauchahty Ware Sonny Nevaquaya R Carlos Nakai Hawk Littlejohn Kevin Locke talk about their instrument and their songs and the role of the flute and its music in their tribes 19 Further reading EditPauline Tuttle 2001 Beyond Feathers and Beads Interlocking Narratives in the Music and Dance of Tokeya Inahim Kevin Locke In Carter Jones Meyer Diana Royer eds Selling the Indian Commercializing amp Appropriating American Indian Cultures University of Arizona Press ISBN 978 0 8165 2148 7 See also EditBahaʼi Faith and Native Americans Nipo T Strongheart another Native cultural performance artist and Bahaʼi References Edit Govenar Alan 2001 Kevin Locke Native American Lakota Flute Player and Hoop Dancer Hunkpapa Sioux Masters of Traditional Arts A Biographical Dictionary Vol 2 K Z Santa Barbara California ABC Clio pp 364 365 ISBN 1576072401 OCLC 47644303 Charles E Locke Retired Bishop 82 Former Methodist Leader Read McKinley Funeral Prayer The New York Times March 5 1940 Locke Charles Edward 1913 Is the Negro Making Good or Have Fifty Years of History Vindicated the Wisdom of Abraham Lincoln in Issuing the Emancipation Proclamation Cincinnati The Methodist Book Concern OCLC 981903094 with foreword by W E B DuBois See also The Online Books Page Online Books by Charles Edward Locke Locke Charles Edward 1858 1940 a b Kevin Locke Lakota Flute Player Singer Dancer www arts gov National Endowment for the Arts n d Retrieved December 9 2020 Hoop dancing and world citizenship meet Kevin Locke One Country Vol 8 no 2 Bahaʼi International Community July September 1996 Retrieved January 2 2018 a b c d Genzlinger Neil October 9 2022 Kevin Locke Who Worked to Preserve Lakota Culture Dies at 68 The New York Times Retrieved October 9 2022 Kevin Locke Elevating Human Spirit Through Music and Dance IndianCountryTodayMediaNetwork com by Tish Leizens Dec 16 2012 Heemstra Jody October 3 2022 Acclaimed Native American flute player hoop dancer Kevin Locke has died Retrieved October 3 2022 Springer Patrick October 2 2022 Kevin Locke renowned Native American hoop dancer and flute player from Standing Rock dies at age 68 Inforum Retrieved October 2 2020 Students Learn Native American Culture at the Belle Archived 2014 09 06 at the Wayback Machine KFYR TV News By TaTiana Cash Sep 05 2014 12 39 AM EDT Schkloven Emma February 25 2016 Native American artist Kevin Locke bringing traditional dance storytelling to Sweet Briar The News amp Advance Lynchburg VA Retrieved January 2 2018 a b NEA National Heritage Fellowships 1990 www arts gov National Endowment for the Arts Archived from the original on May 19 2020 Retrieved December 8 2020 a b c Site Search www bushfoundation org Bush Foundation 2017 Retrieved January 1 2018 US Embassy Brings Native American Culture To Turkey Embassy of the United States Ankara U S Department of State April 10 2006 Archived from the original on August 5 2007 Retrieved June 7 2019 Webb Jaci February 25 2010 Kevin Locke and his ensemble celebrate tribal culture through dance music The Billings Gazette Billings MT Retrieved January 1 2018 Wakpala man receives grant Capitol Journal Pierre SD June 15 2009 Retrieved January 1 2018 Kevin Locke Named 2020 Peace Prize Awardee Kevinlocke com September 12 2020 Retrieved October 2 2020 Work by Jacqueline Left Hand Bull Publications Alumni Writers Evergreen State College Retrieved November 9 2012 Joyce Grendahl Kathleen Songkeepers A Video Review worldflutes org Suffolk International Native American Flute Association Archived from the original on March 3 2006 Retrieved August 13 2010 And National Museum of the American Indian screening Archived from the original on September 1 2006 Retrieved February 19 2008 External links EditOfficial website Kevin Locke at AllMusic nbsp Kevin Locke discography at Discogs Kevin Locke at IMDb Turtle Island StorytellersReviews Edit Celebrating the Circles That Signify Our Lives By Jennifer Dunning January 21 2008 Musicpicks Kevin Locke Seattle Times Telling stories saving heritage through dance Everett Herald Lakota dancer reaches out to kids Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Kevin Locke musician amp oldid 1153938479, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
