Album Notes

Mitch Walking Elk is a vastly under recognized singer, song writer and recording artist. An enrolled member of the southern Cheyenne & Arapaho tribes of Oklahoma he is also part Hopi and Choctaw. Mitch has a total of five recordings and 12 European tours to his credit as well as having performed in Canada, Japan, Mexico and Colombia, South America. He has never had an agent, manager or public relations person, "Although there were many many times when any one of these could have been very helpful" he says. With the exception of his first two recordings which were co-produced with the assistance of Boyd Bristow of Sioux Falls, South Dakota, and teeming up with Menominee Guitarist Wade Fernandez who accompanied him musically for years Mitch has virtually been on his own. A recipient of the U.S. governments assimilation anti-Indian policy he has survived the boarding school system and excelled musically utilizing his life experiences to overcome the very obstacles that otherwise could have proven to be devastating. He has been on the front lines of the Native and environmental struggle for over thirty years much of the time having to work from within the system itself. The "Indians" recording reveals many aspects of that very struggle. Other recordings are #1, Dreamer, #2, Ain't No simple Thing, #3, Peace With Dignity and #4, Time For A Woman, a blues recording also available through CD Baby. He currently is involved in two new music projects, a blues and country recording that he works on when time and finances allow. He also is the winner of the 2005 Indian Summer Festival Music Awards Best Blues recording for the title song, "Time For A Woman" Mitch has recently acted in a soon to be released movie titled "Come And Get Your Love" an independant production where he plays a Dakota Chief. Of his first acting role in a movie he says " It just happened. Twelve years ago a friend told me that he dreamed he saw me in a movie. Now here it is. I felt right at home on the set. I hope I get to do more." He currently is employed by the Indigenous Peoples Task Force, Minneapolis, Minnesota, an HIV/AIDS prevention organization in the Native community. Mitch's web page and contact info is: www.mitchwalkingelk.com