Frank Waln is a Rosebud hip hop artist who is gaining national acclaim. He is the subject of a documentary screened at the most recent Voices of the Heartland presentation at the Dahl Arts Center in Rapid City. At the screening, Native American Music Award winning flutist Cody Blackbird played and talked with the audience. In the lobby, display boards held original art created by students from Rosebud schools. For today’s Dakota Digest, SDPB’s Victoria Wicks talks with Blackbird and film producer Randy Ericksen to find out what it is about Frank Waln that inspires a documentary.
Documentary tells Frank Waln story with children's art
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Filmmaker Randy Ericksen and his wife, Paulette Kirby
Victoria Wicks
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Cody Blackbird works traditional flute into various musical genres, including hip hop
Victoria Wicks
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Randy Ericksen wrote a fable that follows Frank Waln's life, and school children from Rosebud Reservation illustrated it, submitting more than 300 drawings.
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In the fable, a horse meets a spider that takes a part of him. Notice the drawing in the lower right--the horse has parts missing.
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The horse's herd of deer raised the horse to respect and honor others, but he began to feel he was different.
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Here's another drawing of the herd of deer.
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One day the horse found a drum, and many things started to become clear.
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The horse joined others in making music with his drum.
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The horse left the valley and met a bear.
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Here's another drawing of the bear, one that causes people watching the documentary to say, "Awwwwww."
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Another cute drawing that employs a lot of white space.
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The horse, the bear, and a songbird made a path to the top of the mountain, and the people could see a different way.
