Mato Nanji
Born and raised on the Yankton Sioux Reservation in South Dakota, the band Indigenous originally consisted of two brothers, Mato Nanji (vocals and guitar) and Pte (bass guitar), along with their sister, Wanbdi (drums, vocals), and their cousin, Horse (percussion).
In 1998, they released their award-winning debut album Things We Do. The title trackโs video, directed by Chris Eyre (Smoke Signals), won the American Indian Film Festival Award and was shown at the Sundance Film Festival.ย Indigenousโ music caught the attention of blues icon B.B. King, and the young band was invited to play on his annual B.B. Kingโs Blues Tour in 1999. In 2006, the family band disbanded, and Mato carried on with the Indigenous band name.
Professional Information
Mato Nanji was a member of the critically acclaimed Experience Hendrix Tour 2002 โ 2012.
Interviews: โJust Great Bluesโ from Native American Guitarist Mato Nanji of Indigenousย ย Text onlyย ย ย 2010
By Heather Jacks for www.AmericanNoise.com
1999 - Native American Music Awards (NAMA) - Indigenous won Best Blues, Group of the Year, and Best Pop Group for Things We Do
2000 - Native American Music Awards (NAMA) - Indigenous won Best Blues and Group of the Year for Live at Pachyderm Studios
2000 - Billboard Top Blues Albums - #3 forย Circle
2001 -ย Native American Music Awards (NAMA) - Indigenous won Best Blues for Circle
2003 - Billboard Top Blues Albums - #3 for ย Indigenousย ย
2006 - Billboard Top Blues Albums - #2 forย Chasing the Sun
2015 - Native American Music Awards (NAMA) - Indigenous won Best Blues
2015 - Native American Music Awards (NAMA) -ย Mato Nanji won Artist of the Year
1998ย ย Things We Do
1999ย ย Blues This Morning EP
1999ย ย Live at Pachyderm Studios
2000ย ย Circle
2003ย ย Indigenousย ย
2005ย ย Long Way Home EP
2006ย ย Chasing the Sun
2008ย ย Broken Lands
2010ย ย The Acoustic Sessions
2012ย ย Indigenous, Featuring Mato Nanjiย
2013ย ย Vanishing Americansย
2014ย ย Time is Coming
2017ย ย Gray Skiesย
Rock, Blues
Musician, songwriter, bandleader
Guitar, Vocals
Video
Red House - JImi Hendrix tribute - Mato Nanji, Levi Platero, Bronson Begay
Additional Information:
The band name is Indigenous
Hear My Train A-Comin'/Voodoo Child - Mato Nanji - Indigenous
Hear My Train A-Comin' - Jimi Hendrix tribute - Mato Nanji, Indigenous
Voodoo Child - Jimi Hendrix tribute - Mato Nanji - Indigenous
Little Wing - Jimi Hendrix tribute - Mato Nanji, Indigenous
Tribal Information
Yankton Sioux
also known as "Ihanktonwan"
"The Yankton Sioux Tribe of South Dakota is a federally recognized tribe of Yankton Western Dakota people, located in South Dakota. Their Dakota name is Ihaฦktoฦwaฦ Dakota Oyate, meaning "People of the End Village" which comes from the period when the tribe lived at the end of Spirit Lake just north of Mille Lacs Lake.
"Historically, the tribe is known for being the protectors of the sacred Pipestone Quarry for the Oceti Sakowin (Dakota).
"The tribe maintains a free-ranging bison herd. (source: tribal website)
ย Yankton Sioux Tribal website