Photo Credit: Sokzphoto 2016
The current COVID-19 pandemic we are collectively experiencing is unprecedented, ever-evolving, and has made significant impacts on our daily lives. The unfortunate circumstances have subsequently uprooted many students’ hopes and plan to celebrate a monumental moment of their lives, this Spring, with their families and loved ones: graduation commencement. Native American Student Services (NASS) is feeling the grief loss of the opportunity to acknowledge and celebrate the academic achievements and milestones of our Native student population on campus. We reached out to Frank Waln, Sicangu Lakota Hip-Hop artist, music producer, and performer for a live social media performance to recognize the strides that our students have made during their undergraduate careers.
Frank Waln: Award-Winning Artist
Frank Waln is an award-winning artist, producer, and performer from the Rosebud Reservation in South Dakota. As a Gates Millennium Scholar, Waln received a BA in Audio Arts and Acoustics from Columbia College Chicago. Waln’s awards include three Native American Music Awards: The National Center for American Indian Enterprise Development 2014, Native American 40 Under 40, and the 2014 Chicago Mayor’s Award for Civic Engagement. Waln’s work has been featured on Buzzfeed’s 12 Native Americans Who Are Making A Difference, USA Today, ESPN, and MTV’s Rebel Music Native America. With hope, inspiration, and passion at the forefront of his creative pursuits, Frank Waln has also written for publications including Decolonization: Indigeneity, Education, and Society and The Guardian and travels the world making a positive impact through his performances and workshops that focus on self-empowerment and the pursual of dreams.
On behalf of NASS, we thank Frank Waln for offering his energy, talent, and time to recognize and be in community with our students.
Please join us in celebrating the University of Northern Colorado Spring 2020 Native graduates on Instagram Live
@frankwaln on Saturday, April 18th, 7–8 p.m. MST
