Speak/Sing Native™ Artist Archive
Frank Waln
Sicangu Lakota (Rosebud Sioux Tribe)
“Frank Waln is an award winning Sicangu Lakota multi-genre music artist, public speaker and educator from the Rosebud Reservation in South Dakota.
"He has appeared on MTV, CNN, NPR and ESPN for his work and has won numerous awards for his work including Native American Music Awards and “Best Music Video” at the Das Indianer international film festival.
“Frank Waln’s influence extends to higher education and for the last decade, he has toured colleges and universities around the world. He has been a guest lecturer in numerous college classes and has held residencies at institutions such as Stanford University and Harvard University. Frank Waln’s recent work centers his family’s history with boarding schools which became the focus of an artist residency he held at Harvard University in 2023-2024. In recognition of his commitment to preserving cultural heritage, Frank Waln was commissioned by Harvard University’s Committee on the Arts to curate programming on campus and create new music paying tribute to his great grandmother’s resilience as a survivor of Indian boarding schools. Frank Waln’s self-published music is available on all streaming platforms.
"Frank Waln is currently a professor at Western Michigan University where he teaches about music production, Native American music, and Native American history." (Source: Artist website)
Professional Information
Frank Waln holds a Bachelor of Arts in Audio Arts & Acoustics from Columbia College Chicago, where he is recognized as a notable alumni and was given the prestigious Mayor’s Award for Civic Engagement upon graduating.
He curated Chicago’s first All-Indigenous music showcase during the 2022 Pritzker Pavilion Outdoor Summer Music Series.
“His impactful work has been showcased at prominent venues such as the Smithsonian National Museum of the American Indian, the Linden Museum in Germany, and the Kennedy Center. His role as a curator has left a lasting imprint, notably in his design of a captivating music exhibit within the Native American Exhibition Hall at the Field Museum in Chicago. Frank Waln’s writing has been published in academic journals including the School Library Journal and he was a contributing author to America Ferrera’s New York Times Best Seller American Like Me.
Albums with Nake Nula Waun:
2011 - Scars and Bars
2013 - The Definition
Solo albums:
2017 - Born Ready
2017 - The Bridge
2020 - Olówan Wétu (Spring Songs)
2021 - In the Key of Lakota
Singles:
2011 - Doubt (with Nake Nula Waun); Culture Shock (with Nake Nula Waun)
2011 - Swagged out BraveHeart of a Lion (Solo)
2012 - My Stone
2013 - Oil 4 Blood; AbOriginal; Victory Song
2014 - Born on the Rez
2015 - 2 Live & Die On the Plains; What Made the Red Man Red?
2016 - Good Way (featuring Gunner Jules and Rollie Raps); 7 (featuring Tanaya Winder)
Albums with Nake Nula Waun:
2011 - Scars and Bars
2013 - The Definition
Solo albums:
2017 - Born Ready
2017 - The Bridge
2020 - Olówan Wétu (Spring Songs)
2021 - In the Key of Lakota
Singles:
2011 - Doubt (with Nake Nula Waun); Culture Shock (with Nake Nula Waun)
2011 - Swagged out BraveHeart of a Lion (Solo)
2012 - My Stone
2013 - Oil 4 Blood; AbOriginal; Victory Song
2014 - Born on the Rez
2015 - 2 Live & Die On the Plains; What Made the Red Man Red?
2016 - Good Way (featuring Gunner Jules and Rollie Raps); 7 (featuring Tanaya Winder)
1989 - present
Rap/Hip Hop
Rapper, songwriter, educator, public speaker
Vocals
Video
- Frank Waln
Frank Waln Tells His Story at WE Day - Frank Waln
Venue:
Format: Live
Duration: 2:53
- Frand Waln
Originals First: Frank Waln at the Field Museum of Natural History - Frand Waln
Venue:
Format: Live
Duration: 4:47
- Frank Waln - feat. Marie Waln & Kodi Denoyer
Wokiksuye - Frank Waln - feat. Marie Waln & Kodi Denoyer
Venue: Filmed at Outlast Native Youth Film Camp, Pine Ridge Reservation
Format: Official
Duration: 4:31
Directed by/Filmed by/Starring Youth at Outlast Film Camp