In a Good Way by Kenneth Little Hawk

KENNETH LITTLE HAWK

Native American Heritage: Mi'kmaq, Mohawk

Professional Memberships: Screen Actors Guild, Actors Equity

Little Hawk's great-grandmother, a Mi'kmaq, traveled from Nova Scotia across the Canadian border carrying his grandmother on a cradleboard on her back. She journeyed through the upper Mohawk Valley into upstate New York and settled in the Catskills. There, Little Hawk's grandmother married his grandfather, who was Mohawk and Cree. Little Hawk was raised by his traditional grandparents. In his family, it was part of his culture for the oldest to look after the youngest. He was taught he was a reflection of his elders, so his behavior with the young ones was critical.

Little Hawk believes that since all humans live together on this planet, we need to honor, cherish, and preserve our home. He teaches all must work together to mend the global hoop that encompasses all two-leggeds, four-leggeds, winged ones, and plant life. He also teaches respect for differences as well as appreciation for the "common thread that binds us." When he performs, Little Hawk says, "The most important message is that we can make choices to live in harmony with one another and we can make choices to live in harmony with the environment."

PROFESSIONAL SKILLS

STORYTELLER: Little Hawk shares his culture, traditions, and musical instruments in a storytelling format. Native Americans tell stories to teach responsibility, respect, and how to live "In a good way." He performs for a wide variety of audiences, including young children, teenagers, college students, and adults. He has performed on television, on radio, at museums, Native American events, storytelling festivals, The Kennedy Center, The Lincoln Center, and at schools for thousands of children. He feels it is a great privilege to share his culture with children as children hold the key to protect and respect all living things. Little Hawk is especially gifted in working with people who are physically, mentally, and emotionally challenged. Some of his greatest contributions have been with autistic, learning disabled and homeless people.

RECORDING ARTIST: He composes, sings, and plays Native American music on flutes, drums, rattles, and other traditional instruments for movies, plays, television, radio, and concerts. His music and singing are heard in the films "The West" and "Lewis and Clark," both produced by Ken Burns. The soundtrack for "The West," produced by SONY, includes Little Hawk's original music and singing. "Wind, Sun and Stars" was nominated for Best Children's Recording of 1998 by Native American Music Awards. Another CD, "In a Good Way," Native American stories of sespect for living things, was nominated for Best Spoken Word by Native American Music Awards in 2001. Other recordings include: "Relative," "In a Very Real Way," "The Great Mystery," "First Light," "The Hawk Project," "From the Heart of Little Hawk," and "Brothers of the Wind." He composed and performed music as a featured soloist with the Westchester Philharmonic, Purchase, New York, and the Flagstaff Symphony Orchestra, Flagstaff, Arizona.

ACTOR: Powerful presence and dignity in the roles of Native American Elder, Chief, Shaman, Medicine Man, Spiritual Leader, and Peacemaker, with mesmerizing delivery of comedy and tragedy. Little Hawk appeared in "Black Elk Speaks" at the Denver Center Theatre Company and at the Mark Taper Forum in Los Angeles. He played Chief Joseph in "Indians" at the McCarter Theater Company in Princeton, New Jersey. He portrayed a Native American Elder in "The Inheritance," a film directed by Mark Williams, New York University, Department of Film and Television. He played an attorney in the film "Petty Crimes," directed by Michael Ferry, and a storyteller in the film "Campfire Stories," directed by Andrzej Krakowski and Jeff Mazzola.

VOICE-OVERS: Little Hawk's voice has the sound of an ancient voice that echoes in the present. His rich, deep voice is heard in "The West," "Lewis and Clark," and "Land of the Eagle."

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