Saginaw Grant
Grant in 2015
Born
Saginaw Morgan Grant

(1936-07-20)July 20, 1936
Pawnee, Oklahoma, U.S.
DiedJuly 27, 2021(2021-07-27) (aged 85)
Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Occupation(s)Actor, dancer, motivational speaker, Hereditary Chief of the Sac and Fox Nation
Years active1988–2016

Saginaw Morgan Grant (July 20, 1936 – July 27, 2021) was a Native American character actor. He appeared in The Lone Ranger, The World's Fastest Indian, Community, and Breaking Bad and was a musician, pow wow dancer, motivational speaker and the Hereditary Chief of the Sac and Fox Nation.[1]

Early life

Saginaw Morgan Grant was born at the Indian Hospital in Pawnee, Oklahoma on July 20, 1936, the son of Sarah (née Murray) and Austin Grant.[2] He was a member of the Sac and Fox Nation of Oklahoma.[3] His mother's ancestry was from the Iowa and Otoe-Missouria tribes of Oklahoma.[citation needed] He was a United States Marine Corps veteran of the Korean War.[4]

Career

Grant appeared in numerous films and television shows. He played Grey Cloud, an ally of Indiana Jones, opposite Harrison Ford in a 1993 episode "Mystery of the Blues" of The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles. During the 1993 television season Grant had the recurring role of Auggie Velasquez, owner of the small-town general store and trading post, in Harts of the West.[5]

He played the Gatekeeper in the 1999 film Purgatory. He played Chief Big Bear in the 2013 film The Lone Ranger. The same year, Grant appeared as a man who sells his truck to Walter White in the Breaking Bad episode "Ozymandias."

From 2012, Grant was a prominent member of the American Indian Advisory Board at the San Diego International Film Festival.[6][7]

Accolades

Grant was awarded the American Legacy Award from the San Diego Film Festival,[8] the lifetime achievement award from the Oceanside International Film Festival[9][10] and a Living Legend Award by the Native American Music Awards (NAMA).[11] In 2018, his album "Don't Let the Drums Go Silent" won the Record of the Year from NAMA.[12]

Death

Grant died in his sleep on July 27, 2021, at the age of 85.[13] His friend and publicist said the cause of death was natural causes.[14]

Filmography

Film

Television

References

  1. ^ Moya-Smith, Simon (2013-06-13). "A Conversation with Saginaw Grant, Chief Big Bear from 'The Lone Ranger'". Indian Country Today Media Network. Retrieved 2021-07-29.
  2. ^ "Saginaw Grant Biography". AAA Native Arts. 25 October 2014. Retrieved 2021-07-31.
  3. ^ Breslauer, Jan (February 20, 1996). "The Spirit Moves Him in New and Traditional Ways". Los Angeles Times.
  4. ^ Greenwalt, Galen (2018-07-28). "Seminole Nation Honor Guard takes trip to Wheaton, Illinois". Pawhuska Journal-Capital. Retrieved 2021-07-29.
  5. ^ Tim Brooks and Earle Marsh, The Complete Directory to Prime Time Network and Cable TV Shows 1946 – Present, 7th Edition, page 428, Ballantine Books, 1999
  6. ^ "American Indian Advisory Board". San Diego International Film Festival. 2018-04-19. Archived from the original on 2019-09-04. Retrieved 2019-09-04.
  7. ^ Wood, Beth (2017-07-13). "San Diego International Film Festival names American Indian Advisory Board". San Diego Union-Tribune. Archived from the original on 2019-08-01. Retrieved 2021-07-26.
  8. ^ "2014 San Diego Film Festival Award Winners". San Diego International Film Festival. 2014-10-04. Archived from the original on 2021-05-08. Retrieved 2022-02-04.
  9. ^ Bidney, Beverly (2014-09-30). "Native actor Saginaw Grant offers advice to Tribal youth • The Seminole Tribune". The Seminole Tribune. Retrieved 2021-07-29.
  10. ^ "Indian Voices - Promoting and Sharing Native Indigenous Values and Traditions - Saginaw Grant Lifetime Achievement Award". www.indianvoices.net. Retrieved 2020-11-01.
  11. ^ "HALL OF FAME". Native American Music Awards. Archived from the original on 2022-01-21. Retrieved 2022-02-04.
  12. ^ "Native American Music Awards - NAMA 18". nativeamericanmusicawards.com. Archived from the original on 2019-09-23. Retrieved 2021-07-29.
  13. ^ Rickert, Levi (29 July 2021). "American Indian Actor Saginaw Grant, 86, Passes Away". Native News Online. Retrieved 2021-07-29.
  14. ^ "Saginaw Grant, noted Native American character actor, dies". AP NEWS. 2021-07-30. Retrieved 2021-07-30.

External links

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