Biography
Floyd Westerman, also credited as Floyd Red Crow Westerman or Kanghi Duta, was a Sisseton Dakota actor, musician and political activist. He was born on 17 August 1936 on the Lake Traverse Indian Reservation in South Dakota and died on 13 December 2007 in Los Angeles from complications of leukaemia.
He began his career as a country music singer before turning to acting in his fifties. His film debut came in Renegades (1989); he is best known for playing the Sioux leader Ten Bears in Dances with Wolves (1990). Other screen roles include the shaman in The Doors (1991) and recurring parts in series such as The X-Files and Dharma & Greg.
Westerman was a prominent advocate for Native American rights and environmental causes, performing benefit concerts with artists including Willie Nelson, Kris Kristofferson and Sting. He held a B.A. from Northern State University and served in the U.S. Marine Corps.
