Adam Beach as Hollywood source

Actor Adam Beach on Stardom, Passion and the Award Closest to His Heart

By Vincent SchillingThe 39-year-old Saulteaux can now add another accolade to his lengthy resume. He has received a National Aboriginal Achievement Award (since renamed the Indspire Awards), one of the highest honors that can be bestowed upon a First Nations person. He co-hosted last year’s gala; this year he was on the podium. Indian Country Today Media Network got Beach to open up a little about his work and the perspective it has given him.

You’ve reached a level that few have attained. Do you feel like an educator as well as an actor?

Everybody I meet in Hollywood always asks questions about how it is to be Indian. What are my problems, what are my political points of view, where are we in society these days, or what issues do we face? When the likes of Steven Spielberg or Harrison Ford have questions, I have those answers, because they can’t and don’t really have the time to educate themselves about the history of Native peoples.

I am kind of like their inside source, which helps me realize that I have to be aware of our struggles as Native people today. I am in a position in which my voice means something. It is recognized across North America, so I better damn well educate myself about what is going on now. This includes learning about other opportunities that can help with the solutions and the struggles that Native people face.Comment:  For more on Adam Beach, see Beach Talks About Law & Order: SVU and Arctic Air Reviewed.