Raised in northeastern Oklahoma

Spoke native Cherokee until entering school at age five

Graduated high school

Served a tour of duty in Vietnam after high school

Joined the Trail of Broken Treaties protest march

Joined the American Indian Movement in the occupation of Wounded Knee, SD

Worked as a reporter for the Tulsa "Indian News"

Helped start a Cherokee newspaper while attending college

Taught the Cherokee language in college

Joined the American Indian Theater Company in Tulsa

Professional stage debut in "Black Elk Speaks"

Worked in educational TV in Nebraska

Moved to Los Angeles

Began periodically performing his own one-man show, "Coyote Chews His Own Tail", which debuted at the West Coast Ensemble Theater in Hollywood

Feature acting debut, "Powwow Highway"

Made TV debut in a small role of the ABC TV-movie, "Longarm"

Did a guest shot on the superhero series "The Flash"

First film in a major role, "The Last of the Mohicans"

First TV credit for voice work, provided a voice for "In the White Man's Image", a presentation of the PBS documentary series "The American Experience"

Cast as One Horse, a regular on the short-lived CBS Western "Ned Blessing: The Story of My Life and Times"

Appeared on HBO in "American Reunion: The People's Inaugural Celebration", reciting "The Battle Hymn of the Republic" in English and Cherokee

Provided the voice of Crazy Horse for the syndicated Western documentary series, "The Wild West"

Starred as the title character in the biopic "Geronimo: An American Legend"

TV miniseries debut, "Larry McMurtry's 'Streets of Laredo'", a sequel to "Lonesome Dove"

Appeared in "Deep Rising"

Starred alongside Adam Beach in the PBS "Mystery!" production "Skinwalkers", directed by Chris Eyre

Co-starred in the Steven Spielberg produced "Into the West" (TNT)

Cast in the Terrence Malick-scripted drama "The New World," about explorer John Smith and the clash between Native Americans and English settlers

Joining the cast of "Comanche Moon," Larry McMurtry's prequel to his western saga "Lonesome Dove"