Hear Our Voices with Mitch Walking Elk
Hear Our Voices is dedicated to highlighting the Indigenous storytellers from across the Nations. This month MONAH is spinning the program to include a unique storyteller’s perspective. Mitch Walking Elk is combining MONAH’s Hear Our Voices monthly program with the Native Conversations series to give a broader perspective on his life’s work.
Mitch Walking Elk performed contemporary Native songs while telling how each piece came to be. Mitch is dedicated to coordinating the Indigenous Youth Ceremonial Mentoring Societies, a select group of Indigenous youth that goes to school in the St. Paul school District that teaches the traditional ceremonial life ways of Indigenous Tribal Nations. To this topic, he dedicated a part of his time during Hear Our Voices to discuss The Doctrine of Discovery and Papal Bulls, which are Papal Decrees by various Pope's from last centuries, and the devastating effects on the Indigenous People of the Americas and worldwide.
Purchase his CD’s in our shop!
About Mitch Walking Elk
Oklahoma born and raised, now residing in St. Paul, Minnesota, Mitch Walking Elk is an enrolled member of the Southern Cheyenne & Arapaho Tribes of Oklahoma. He also is part Hopi. He has seven recordings to his credit and is the winner of 2005 Best Blues Recording, “TIME FOR A WOMAN” Indian Summer Musical Festival, Milwaukee, Wisconsin and the 2013 Best Blues Recording, “UP FROM THE ASHES” Native American Music Awards, (NAMA OR NAMMY) Niagara Falls, New York. He believes his musical strengths to be his vocals and songwriting and at this juncture his endurance in the business.
Mitch has performed throughout the U. S., Mexico, Colombia, South America, Japan and Europe where he released his auto-biography in 2012 titled “THERE WILL BE NO SURRENDER” which has been published only in German. Mitch has toured various countries in Europe 50 (I lost count) plus times.
Mitch is employed by The Change Inc/Guadalupe Alternative Programs (GAP) of St. Paul, an inner-city alternative school that serves underserved populations in the St. Paul community. He is the coordinator for the INDIGENOUS YOUTH CEREMONIAL MENTORING SOCIETY, in which a select group of Indigenous youth that go to school in the St. Paul school District are taught traditional ceremonial life ways of Indigenous Tribal Nations. His duties also involve being a community support Liaison.
Mitch is a member of the American Indian Movement (AIM) since 1974. AIM originated in Minneapolis, Minnesota in 1968 initially in response to police brutality against Native people but evolved into a national movement that has taken stands on behalf of and encourages the survival and revival of Indian traditions. Ultimately, AIM’s efforts attracted world attention to the issues faced by America’s original people and in so doing generated support throughout the world. Mitch has benefitted from that effort and continues to lend support to Indigenous people through his efforts. He is married and the father of eight children all of whom are adults and have children of their own.
Musically he refuses to be constrained or confined by labels. In the early years he was quickly labeled a folk singer and admits that his POWER songs are his protest or “songs of empowerment” as he has evolved into calling them, but is very comfortable singing love songs, soft rock/easy listening, rock and country. People should expect to hear all of those at one of his concerts.
To contact or book Mitch please email walkingelk@hotmail.com