Redefining What is "Native."

Roger Kuhn came to New York City from rural North Dakota a decade ago to pursue his dream of becoming a singing, songwriting rock star—who just happens to be an American Indian.

“I say that I’m a native musician because I think it’s important,” said Kuhn, 30, who resides in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. The singer/songwriter said that when most people think of American Indian creative expression, they envision traditional flute players, drummers or visual artists. “They often forget, for example, the serious native actors who don’t just want to play the rez role [meaning stereotypical depictions of American Indians from reservations],” said Kuhn. “There are amazing artists who defy genre and race.”

The multi-talented, guitar-strumming Kuhn belts out soulful, often upbeat alt-country and folk-rock that is wholly contemporary. The singer’s rich, nuanced baritone is haunting and emotive.
           
Kuhn is also openly gay, and is sometimes identified with New York’s underground queer indie punk and rock scene. He pointed out that some people ask, “Why isn’t that guy singing club music, having some twink in spandex behind him grabbing his ass?” But once fans get to know Kuhn better, he insists, they realize his sexuality is mostly a non-issue. “I write universal music and lyrics,” he said. “That’s true for many straight artists as well, but no one ever questions them.” (To learn more about LGBT sexuality and American Indian New Yorkers, check out Two-Spirit).

The songs on Kuhn’s first full-length CD, “Proof” (2006, NDNY Records), are full of lyrics about love, life’s journeys, conflict and family (track titles include “No Place Like Home” and “Why Can’t I Quit You”). The singer explained that much of the indie record is about overcoming fear and discovering truth. “I don’t really hide much, but I also write from a place where it could also be your story, or your friend’s story,” said Kuhn.  

So far, Kuhn’s primary fan base hails from New York’s American Indian and gay communities. In July, the singer performed at a special Two-Spirit Celebration as part of the city’s annual LGBT Fresh Fruit Festival. Kuhn invited an American Indian drag duo from Oklahoma, the Brush Arbor Girls (Samantha Richards and Landa Lakes), to perform at the festival.
           
Kuhn arrived in NYC 10 years ago with a backpack, $600 and a dream. He still must work to support his music, and is currently employed by the Ford Foundation. He is studying massage therapy, however, with the goal of greater flexibility.

“New York is very inspiring, but living here is also probably the toughest thing I’ve ever done,” added Kuhn. He said he is grateful for the invaluable support he received from the American Indian Community House, especially advice and assistance from Jim Cyrus, the organization’s performing arts director. He has also been inspired by Shadowyze (Creek/Cherokee), a popular American Indian rapper from Florida.

Kuhn grew up in Napoleon, North Dakota, in a community that spoke largely German. His father was German/Russian/Greek and his mother is Creek from the Poarch Reservation in Alabama. The singer said his mother was the darkest-skinned person in town, and that he didn’t meet any multiracial people until he visited his mother’s reservation. Echoes of that experience can be heard in his emotional song “2 Nations,” in the line “I am conflicted/I come from two nations/Do I need to choose one/In order to feel whole.”

Said Kuhn, “The stuff that comes with me being gay and native, it definitely inspires my music, but it is not my music. I hope that when people think native musician in a positive way, maybe they’ll think of me.”