HONORED INDIAN: LYNN “SMOKEY” HART
Posted on December 11, 2007 - Filed Under HONOR INDIANS |
Lynn “Smokey” Hart was born to a Yankton Sioux mother and black father. He was placed in a foster home at 3 days old. He was adopted at age 13 and grew up in Watertown, SD. After graduation from high school, he joined the U.S. Marines. While in the marines, he took up rodeo bull riding. After the marines, he was determined to be a “cowboy.” He also became a professional stuntman, appearing in two movies, HBO’s “The Cherokee Kid” with Sinbad and Burt Reynolds, and TNT’s “Buffalo Soldier” with Danny Glover. He later toured with “The Bill Pickett Invitational Rodeo.” He was distressed that his beloved home state of S. Dakota got a bad rap as being racially intolerant. In 1989, S. Dakota was one of 4 states that did not recognize Martin Luther King Day as a state holiday. He learned that the SD state legislature was considering making Martin Luther King Day an official state holiday. He made arrangements to go and testify in front of the SD State Legislature. On Feb. 14, 1990, the SD passed a bill recognizing Martin Luther King and Native American Day in SD. For his efforts, Mr. Hart was awarded the “Making of King Holiday Award” on Jan. 13, 1992. He was presented the award by Stevie Wonder and Corretta Scott King. Today, he enjoys speaking and working on his auto biography entitled “Living Red, White and Black.” He also has a website called noxcusesnone.com, where he is working to fight against meth! Honor Indians Institute would like to honor Lynn “Smokey” Hart.
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