Kevin  Locke "It is incredible to see the beauty of the people on this earth, the vast richness of humankind. All people have the same impulses, spirits and goals." - Kevin Locke Makoche Artist Recordings: The Flash of the Mirror Open Circle The First Flute Considered the world's pre-eminent Lakota traditional-style flute player and hoop dancer, Tokeya Inajin (Kevin Locke) was awarded a National Heritage Fellowship by the National Endowment for the Arts in 1990. His life's work is both a bridge and a balance of the traditional and the modern. He is a recognized authority on his native culture, tradition and language and has a Masters of Arts degree in Educational Administration from the University of South Dakota. Locke is a popular lecturer and storyteller working to ensure his cultural heritage survives and prospers. He has traveled to 45 countries from Canada to China, from Australia to Africa to Europe, sharing his vision of balance, joy and diversity through music and dance. As he explains, "through my music and dance I wish to give voice to the beauty of the land and to help define the role of the human sprit in relationship to the immensity of this infinite hoop of life." His belief in the unity of humankind is reflected in his dancing. Kevin uses 28 hoops to tell a story, depicting such things as flowers, butterflies, stars, the sun and an eagle. The hoops represent unity while the colors of the hoops - black, red, yellow and white - represent the four directions, four seasons, four winds and the four races of humankind. Towards the end of the dance, all 28 hoops are interlocked in a spherical shape as fragile as the balance he works for in human affairs. Locke’s award winning recordings on the Makoché label include The Flash of the Mirror, Open Circle and The First Flute. The First Flute was named winner of the Best Traditional Recording of 2000 by the Native American Music Association (NAMA). Locke also received a nomination as NAMA’s Flutist of the Year for 2000. Finalist nominations for The First Flute include the Association for Independent Music (AFIM) Best North American Native Album of 1999, the Best Native American Recording of 2000 from Crossroads Awards and the Best Native American Music Album of 2000 from COVR Visionary Awards. Locke’s recording, Open Circle, received a nomination for Best North American Native Album of 1997 from AFIM. Locke is a member of the Standing Rock Reservation in South Dakota.