Indigenous is the story of a family of Sioux musicians, raised on a reservation, who form a blues band, begin touring and quickly generate gushes of enthusiastic praise. As children in tiny Marty, South Dakota, brothers Mato Nanji and Pte, sister Wanbdi, and cousin Horse got to work, practicing intensely for years.
While growing up, the family was home-schooled by their parents. They learned to play instruments in the basement by listening to their parentsÆ collection of blues greats: B. B. King, Buddy Guy, Jimi Hendrix, and Carlos Santana among others. At their parentsÆ suggestion, they named their group ôIndigenous,ö although they claim that at that age they didnÆt know what the word meant.
Indigenous ventured to Pachyderm Recording Studio in 1997, having been invited by Amy Ray of the Indigo Girls to contribute a song to her Honor The Earth benefit compilation CD. Here they caught the eyes and ears of Pachyderm Records Producer/Engineer Brent Sigmeth and Director of A&R Jim Nickel, and soon after their first album, Things We Do, was nationally released and won the album of the year award at the 2000 Native American Music Awards, where Indigenous was also honored as best musical group. In late 1999 Indigenous returned to the studio to record their latest release, Circle.
The group has appeared on Late Night With Conan OÆBrien, CBS Saturday Morning, and Austin City Limits. They have opened for Bob Dylan and Dave Matthews, and joined the Honor The Earth Tour with Bonnie Raitt and the Indigo Girls. They have also shared the stage with Carlos Santana before 12,000 people at the Mesa del Sol Amphitheatre in Albuquerque.
