Rap — not the gangsta, misogynistic stuff — is the perfect art form because it dovetails nicely with native people's oral tradition of storytelling.

"From the time we come out of the womb, we have this heaviness in our spirits and hearts and mind," Waln said. "I was introverted and depressed, and music gave me a way to work through all of that."

From his song, "Oil 4 Blood," Waln raps:

Tell Diane Sawyer I am a warrior/ Give me your camera, send Peltier your lawyer/ Free all my people get them out of prison/ Take them to Sundance show them how we're livin'

Rap began in the mid-1970s as a way for black, Hispanic and Afro-Caribbean youths in New York City housing projects to rail against fatherlessness, unemployment, drugs and police brutality. Waln said the music connects with young Native Americans today who are dealing with similar issues.

His music combines the drumbeats and flute sounds that are the backbone of Native American music with the spoken word that is the heartbeat of rap. His lyrics are about growing up without a father; about borders that are made by governments and those that are self-inflicted; about education, oppression and even the Keystone XL pipeline.