Tatanka Means

Tatanka Wanbli Sapa Xila Sabe Means, born February 19, 1985, in Rapid City, South Dakota, is an American actor and comedian of Oglala Lakota, Omaha, Yankton Dakota, and Diné descent.

The son of prominent Oglala Lakota activist Russell Means and his wife Gloria, he grew up primarily with his mother in Chinle, Arizona, on the Navajo Nation, and later settled in New Mexico with his wife Christine, a yoga instructor, and their daughter.

He advocates for sobriety, maintaining an alcohol- and drug-free lifestyle, and carries his full Lakota name meaning Black Buffalo Eagle.

Tatanka Means began his acting career with a lead stunt double role in the 2004 film Black Cloud, filmed in the same gym where he had trained as a boxer.

Full Name	Tatanka Means
Other Name	Tatanka Wanbli Sapa Xila Sabe Means
Gender	Male
Occupation	Actor/Comedian
Date of Birth	19-February-1985 (41 years)
Birth Year	1985
Birth Location	Rapid City, South Dakota, U.S.

He gained early recognition portraying Crazy Horse in the 2005 miniseries Into the West and Slipping Weasel in Comanche Moon.

Notable film roles followed, including Buddy Begay, a hip-hop Navajo frybread rock star, in More Than Frybread (2011); the quietly affecting Wolf Ortiz in Tiger Eyes (2012), earning awards like Best Supporting Actor at the American Indian Film Festival and Best Actor at the Red Nation Film Festival; Seeker Hawke in The Host (2013); and Delvin in Neither Wolf Nor Dog (2016).

His television appearances include Hobbamock in the miniseries Saints & Strangers (2015), the recurring role of Charges the Enemy in The Son (2017), and guest spots on Banshee, The Night Shift, Reservation Dogs, and Outer Range.

Recent high-profile projects feature John Wren in Martin Scorsese's Killers of the Flower Moon (2023), Taklishim in Horizon: An American Saga – Chapter 1 and Chapter 2 (2024), Scar in Surrounded (2023), and upcoming roles in Wind River: The Next Chapter, Opus (2025), and the Netflix series Y: Marshals. He also voiced characters in Red Dead Redemption 2 (2018) and Ark: The Animated Series (2024).

As a comedian, he performs with the group 49 Laughs Comedy alongside Pax Harvey, James Junes, Ernie Tsosie II, and Adrianne Chalepah, delivering stand-up routines rooted in Native heritage, such as teasing traditions resolved with "Aaaayyyyeeee" or explaining email to his grandfather.

He featured in the PBS special Roots of Comedy with Jesus Trejo and was named Entertainer of the Year by the National Indian Gaming Association and Best Comedian by Albuquerque The Magazine. He takes pride in portraying modern, complex Native men, avoiding stereotypes, and received the American Indian Business Leaders Entrepreneur of the Year award in 2011 for his Tatanka Clothing line promoting Native cultural awareness.