Kevin Locke, an acclaimed Native American flute player, hoop dancer, cultural ambassador and educator, has died in South Dakota at age 68, according to his family.
A member of the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe and from the ancestral line of Lakota and Anishinabe, Locke died Friday night after returning to his hotel room in Hill City, his son Ohiyesá Locke said Monday.
The younger Locke said his father, who had been performing at the Crazy Horse Memorial in the Black Hills, suffered an asthma attack and died while he was being taken to the hospital.
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Ohiyesá Locke said he had been video chatting with his father several hours before he died.
“He was walking through the Black Hills and telling me how beautiful they were, and he talked about some of the history of the Lakota people,” he said.
Kevin Locke, an acclaimed Native American flute player, hoop dancer, cultural ambassador and educator, died in South Dakota at age 68 on Sept. 30, 2022, according to his family. Pictured: Kevin Locke performs a hoop dance in the Badlands, South Dakota, in 2002.
(Ohiyesa Locke via AP)
According to his website, Locke performed for nearly 40 years to hundreds of thousands of people in more than 90 countries at performing art centers, festivals, schools, universities, conferences, state and national parks, monuments and powwows.
As a folk artist, Locke used his talents to teach others about Native American history and especially enjoyed working with children on the reservations to ensure the survival and growth of indigenous culture, the website said.
“He had an amazing gift to touch people’s hearts and was very generous with his time,” said Ohiyesá Locke, who lives in Killeen, Texas.
“Through my music and dance, I want to create a positive awareness of the Oneness of humanity,” Kevin Locke once wrote on his website.
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The Native American Music Awards issued a statement Saturday after learning of Locke’s death.
“Kevin Locke was undoubtedly one of the greatest flutists, hoop dancers and teachers the world had ever seen. He will be greatly missed. The Native American Music Awards would like to extend their deepest condolences and sorrow to his family,” the statement read.
Locke attended high school at the Institute of American Indian Arts in New Mexico. He also earned a bachelor’s…
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