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Join The Urban Rez for an exciting journey that dives into the intersections of culture, sports, and lifestyle with a fresh, global, inclusive perspective. Each 30-minute episode brings a unique blend of conversations, stories, and interviews that explore the passions and experiences that define our lives.
Marcus White 0:00
This is a KU NV studios original program. The content of this program does not reflect the views or opinions of 91.5 jazz and more the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, or the Board of Regents of the Nevada System of Higher Education. The urban RES is underwritten by Southwest gas. Since 1931 southwest gas has been committed to serving the communities we live in. Employees actively volunteer for and support organizations and initiatives that make our communities better places to Live. For more information, SW, gas.com, you
Music 1:02
on the face
Marcus White 1:16
and good morning, everybody. Man, this month has gone by soul doggone fast. We were ready like September 14. It's like the beginning of the month. And, Dr B, this is crazy.
Dr. B 1:29
Hey you all. And hey Virgo season. I'm a Virgo. So hello to all my fellow Virgos out there. Is our season, y'all,
Marcus White 1:39
it surely is so dr, B, why don't you tell us about how you've been I mean, man, we missed you the last show because you were traveling. Glad to have you back. Just what's been going on in your world, just
Dr. B 1:55
hustling every day I'm hustling. You know that song, don't play that. Yes, so that should be my theme song for year 2025, um, I just been doing a lot of work on on my res the Navajo Nation, and traveling a lot back home. So a lot of my time is is caught up with that red life, you know, with the going to see relatives, going to ceremony, butchering sheep and all of that. Res Life,
Marcus White 2:33
hashtag, Res Life. Oh man. So today we have a dynamic young man, this cat is, I was, he's dope. I'm not going to say the other two words, but he's really dope. And so glad to have him on. Dr b Once you go ahead and do the do the intro
Dr. B 2:53
with honor. Today, we're going to be interviewing Mr. Derek Henke. He's like my brother from another mother, so to speak. Mr. Derek Henke is a seventh generation, fourth modern Paiute Shoshone descendant, carrying the bloodline of war chief numaga raised on the reservation. He sharpened his grit as a wild firefighter and Olympic level boxer, before an injury rerouted his past. He's since become a force in film and television, performing his own stunts and bringing indigenous strength and authenticity to every role in Netflix American time evil. Derek doesn't just act. He resurrects ancestral power on this big screen. Derek, you're with us. Brother, hey, what's going on, guys, I appreciate
Derek Hinkey 3:43
you for having me. For real,
Marcus White 3:45
absolutely my man, boy. Man, you're, you're, man, you know, Seventh Generation fort McDermott, pious Shoshone descendant. Brother, I mean, I it just amazes me, and you're carrying the bloodline of a war chief, no Maga. Man, how does that even feel? You know, I'm saying that to come from that to me, I call it royalty that just know that that is in your bloodline. Yeah.
Derek Hinkey 4:11
Man, you know, growing up on the rez for McDermott and just understanding my, my real art history, I was always taught a leaf on a tree cannot exist without its roots, and you can't go somewhere if you don't know who you are, it's always understanding you know, like you know who you are, and when you when you know that you carry the power of 1000 ancestors, like there's we say, in our, in our in our language, your puja, your medicine, your power. You carry that good medicine. You carry that good power with you. And you know, understanding that you represent more than yourself. You represent, you know, an entire, uh, people, you know, a whole bloodline and and a whole tribe. So for me, it's like knowing, like, I gotta try to put everything that I do
Dr. B 4:55
Derek, um, you know, there's a lot of i. I see a lot of your social media posts, and I'm a big fan as a big supporter, and also, you know, just supportive of all your roles that you choose. How has you being you and coming from, who you've come from? How has that shaped your sense on the roles that you choose in your acting career,
Derek Hinkey 5:21
you know, I think for me, it's always been understanding that, you know, what does a profit from the world, but in the process losing his soul. So for me, there's a lot of times where, like, I'll get a role and I'll read and I'll get minimal script, and there's some things that I will and won't do. It's something that I feel like I can't, you know, as a representative of of my people, tribe and communities, I got to represent myself in a good way. And, you know, at the end of the day, there's, there's, you know, naturally, there's big money thrown your way. And it's like, I'm not, you know, I'm doing it for the money. I'm really, like, I'm doing it for the love and the representation other people and like, want that to be clear, like, I'm not willing to, I guess, sell my soul for for old I could shine light on us in a bad way.
Marcus White 6:12
That's powerful. Can
Dr. B 6:13
you? Can you give us one example of one role, just a quick description of what that role and something that you just didn't like, yeah? So initially,
Derek Hinkey 6:22
when I first started this, and mind you, I've only been doing it for three years now, so I'm actually a rookie to the game, and I would get in for stuff, and I'm like, yeah, no, I just, I just can't do that. You know, I feel like, for me, and you know, this goes for actors, gentlemen, their their preference, and how they operate and how they get to the character. For me, they're just certain things I feel like, as as a representative of my my family, my tribe and community, that those, for me, you go through this, like, realism or like, that's, that's when you have to understand. And I've said this to, like, a lot of the younger guys, you know, screen. And I'm like, Yeah, well, what you what you see and what you look at when you're doing, because you're the wardrobe, the setting, the scenario, is also real. And in your mind, we're taught as Indian people, your mind is very, very powerful. So you're actually recreating stuff. And, um, it'd be similar to, let's say, like you're a kid and in real life, your family was murdered. Well, now you're an actor, and you grew up, and now you got to replay what happened. So for me, it's always teaching those the next generation. Yeah, you know where this is this. This is a spiritual thing that we're going through. You're not just acting. You're actually, let's say you're doing a period piece, and you're a native Scout, and you got to go through and you have to, in this the scene calls for you to run and then shoot down women, children. You know, that's that's something that conscious of life. You know, there's a there's take care of
Marcus White 7:53
yourself absolutely. And so you are an athlete, and so kind of tell us about the sports that you played, and even from the Olympic boxing trials, and then how that translates into stunt work and acting, and then how those physical disciplines kind of translate into storytelling.
Derek Hinkey 8:16
So I grew up on the razz I was boxing, was one of my first memories of the world. But my family, they're all They're all cowboys guys. And after, you know, I'm the run to my family, they're all and then there's like six plus, all big, huge guys. So there's always drive like to be better and be more. But growing up on the basketball was a huge part of you know who we are playing in the gravel. I eventually went on hold, I still hold scoring title for most points scored in a basketball game. I scored 52 and then I went and played a little bit in Australia. Eventually tried to go college. That really wasn't for me. And then I came back further Nevada. My brother Tyler hinkey kind of led me back to boxing. So fire, one of the fire engine module leaders in Nevada, Tyler was just kicking butt. He was a 16 year old kid, which to me, it didn't really make, I didn't really cognize the level that he was at when he was 16, until I had my my stepson was 16, and I'm like, Damn, you know my, my little brother was a high level amateur. He was being flown across the United States by main events luduba Productions to spar the best, best fighters in the world. He was getting paid as a 16 year old kid. Well, this guy would come home play in a basketball tournament, let his basketball team state the next week and go play football. And I'm, you know, as a father now, like, I knew, you know, he was great, but you don't really, you can't really put the two together. You like, you become a dad, and you're like, I would never, I mean to. To box with the best in the world at 16 years older than come home and go to a state tournament. It's unheard of, you know. And I'm like, he was in there with killers, so, yeah, did that, you know? And I was just sitting on a fire engine one time, and I was reading Muscle and Fitness, and Frank mare was on the club, and I'd like to trade letter with that guy. And eventually I went back to boxing because of my brother, started competing. We were kicking butt. Our coaches, Bobby Lee, US Elite amateur, one of the best in the world. Big Love to that guy. He he really like changed changes our lives and our futures. Went to the Western Olympic trials. Did really well there. I lost the decision to the guy that won the whole thing and but I thought I still beat him. We got signed to a pro company. They moved, they gave us the option. Moved to make Vegas, because it's closer to family, and was here for for, for a long spell, you know, competing, I was kind of put on the shelf. I was fighting one time a year, and I really was, I'm very high strung. So I was sitting around one day, and I told my brother, I got to do something. I got to do more. I just, I just have that I want to do more. Still signed to the promotional team and started doing stunt work and acting at term and kings sword fighting, fighting with stage weapons, stage combat, doing falls off horses, and I fell in love with it. Fast forward to that. That's kind of what led me to to acting.
Dr. B 11:31
Okay, I remember you posting that you're doing stunt work for tournament of King. So I do remember that part of your journey for sure. Um, okay, so you kind of, you got to brought us, you know, through your journey from, you know, you starting off the rez at the fort McDermot reservation. I definitely feel that, because I came from the red too, and we're both urban Natives living here in Vegas, right? Yeah, so, yeah, that's pretty dope that we're both here. I just speaking about being urban from the res and native what stories still need to be told from Indian country, and how can platforms like being an urban and rez, quote, unquote, urban red support that movement. So tell us about, you know, because I know you and I probably go through similar struggles, but I want to, I want to and and successes. I just want to know what you feel about how to navigate the pressure of representing indigenous characters, representing Indian country, if you
Derek Hinkey 12:39
will. Yeah, so being, you know, when I first moved here to Vegas, me and my brother, we didn't know where we lived, but we came right from the reds. Our promoters moved us. We gave us money. We wanted to move in somewhere, so we ended up moving Washington, nice. We lived there for for a few years, predominantly African American neighborhood, and we we fit right in. You know? They were very welcoming. We were fine. Everything was great. It was we were just like the rest. Same thing, you know? Well, one day, our boxing coach found out that we lived on, on in, on Washington, and Kenny Adams, he's the best professional coaches in the game. Recently traveled on. But anyways, Kenny found out that's where we live. He, like, he demanded that we moved out. And we're like, why? Kenny, this is, we're fine, man. Like this is we're from the red you know. Like this is the word. Everybody here treats us the same. We're no different, you know. But yeah, so understanding that is always we've we've been welcomed by communities, whether it's a community, African American community, we've been everybody's welcome us, you know, and for that, I'm grateful. But wherever we go, we're always taught you want to be in addition to so I always tell people that as as I have in my life, I represent not only an indigenous, native community, but also everybody. You know, I'm a coach. I teach boxing. So I got, I got African American kids, Hispanic kids, white kids, Irish kids, just a whole plethora. And I was tell them, you know, like, in my language, don't call it South Native American. We don't call indigenous. We're new, we're the people. And that goes down to like, understanding, you know, like, that's your tribe. You guys are my tribe. You know, like, like minded people. You're all my you're my relatives. So for me, it's always understanding that it's goofy because I go places and there's people just know there's no like, well, what race are you? You know, Native American. Like, I just went to the store the other day, and this Filipino grandmother lady was like, wow, you're, you're a Native American. And I'm like, and it's crazy. I just want to know. I'm like, How do you know? And she's like, I I've always said that, no, like, I feel like, for us as as as Native people, is, you know, go, go. When you when you know where you come from. Mean, and you know that medicine you carry, you know, like you know who you are, you don't need to validate or prove to anybody else. I know who I am.
Dr. B 15:08
That is definitely very true. What, what I love is someone, um, already knew your racial, ethnic background. That's pretty dope. I never get that. No one ever says, Oh, you're Native American as the first,
Marcus White 15:24
right? Yeah,
Derek Hinkey 15:26
you know the thing though, that there's, there's also, there's also that other side of the moon to that, which, I don't want to say, it just bothers me a little bit. But sometimes it's like, it's crazy, because they it's approach like, like, wow. You know, they've never seen a Native American before. They've never seen a new world. They've never seen an Indian person, whatever you want to call them, you know. And it's like, to me that almost like, breaks my heart when I, you know, the same thing, I'll be driving around, and then, let's say I first go down Mexico, and I'm, well, there's no I get excited because you know you don't, you don't see your own unless you're from that community,
Dr. B 16:05
right? It's almost sometimes you feel like people look at you as an endangered species sort of thing.
Derek Hinkey 16:13
Yeah, absolutely. 100% Yep, yes.
Dr. B 16:18
Um, yeah. I know the feeling is daunting, because you're like, wow, people don't really see us in the 21st Century and a daily American life,
Derek Hinkey 16:31
right? Yeah,
Marcus White 16:32
yeah, yeah, that definitely is crazy. I mean, one day I'll tell you, I'll tell you about my journeys to different countries, and people looking at me like they've never seen a person of color before, never seen a black person before, maybe on TV. Yeah, right. So again, they have have this, Well, hell, their education is TV. So all they knows is they believe what they see on TV, which is not even the case of what and how. You know how we are, you know, first and foremost, yeah, the urban Rez is underwritten by the Las Vegas Motor Speedway, Nevada's premier sports venue, hosting two NASCAR and NHRA race weekends and the largest annual electronic music festival in North America, the Electric Daisy Carnival. NASCAR will be in Las Vegas October 10 through 12th for tickets and more information. Lvms.com I want to pivot to American Prime Evil. So for people out there who have not seen this on Netflix, you guys need to go watch it. It is a very, very great series, and it definitely will, will touch you. So Derek, in that role, your performance felt ancestral, like almost spiritual man. So how do you prepare for roles that require more than acting?
Derek Hinkey 17:50
Yeah, so again, I'm fairly new to the game, but for me, I've always just tapped into, you know, your your genetic memory, your your, your walking with the power of 1000 ancestors, man and you, you know, you, you gotta, I think for me, understanding that when I, when I do a film, I'm representing more than myself. Anyways, I really know that I'm just not a big crowd person. I'm just not like, you know, I don't know who the fashion shows and stuff that won't, but I feel like there's, there's, there's, there's a bigger, bigger mess than you carry when you know you understand that. So for American primeval, I literally, which is kind of who I am. I I tapped in, I locked in, and I just segregated myself. And, you know, I stayed red feather stayed with me for four year and a half. So I just like the language, just being present in that moment. Every time I film, I feel like, you know, in life in general, there's, there's magic in that moment. Like, if I'm tapped in right now with you guys, which I am, there's magic moment. And when you understand that in the moment, support in that that you're, you're given that forever, you know, like that red feather character that you put forever, and it's like there's magic that's been captured in that moment. Then that's, that's, that's forever get for me, you can't put a price tag on the positive impact that character can make on everybody in the world, right, man.
Dr. B 19:28
I mean, you know, I think it's one thing for people to see you in the community, and it's a whole different thing for the world to see you on character and in person, so I can imagine some of what your mind thought process is going through as you are representing indigenous slash Native American people. And I'm just like, I'm super proud of you, bro and with. You taken all of all of it to like all of it in what advice do you have for young people, and especially native people who live on the res, who feel that the world doesn't see them or only see stereotypes? What advice do you have for
Derek Hinkey 20:17
them? Yeah, so for me, I've always been taught, you know my dad. I grew up and I got a very close to my parents, my both my mom and my dad. But growing up, I I hated my father. I didn't think he was my dad. I even asked I went to their bedroom one time, and I was like, hey, you know, I'd rather go to boys home. I like, I don't think that's my dad, you know, and he raised and I'm grateful for him now. He's like my best friend, very strong minded individual. My whole family, they're very strong minded people. But he would always ask to me, you know, you don't need people to like you. You don't need people to validate who we are. And he would always tell me, you know, like you do something for you, not for anybody else. And for me, that goes for you know, when I when I do, if I do, if I'm creating an let's say I'm creating a character. For me, that's art, and then in a semi selfish way, that art, I have to like it first, if I don't like it, then how can the world like it? So for me, anytime I do something, I It's passion and purpose. And I feel like the purity of that intent can light a fire somewhere else, you know, it's like, you know, like I said, you know, hopefully that doesn't get mistaken as me not trying to be around the people. I do a lot of grassroots meeting meet
Dr. B 21:38
and greets. You do, I'm there. I see it,
Derek Hinkey 21:41
yeah, yeah. You know, it's like, I've never wanted to be put I'm from a small community, and I've always been put on a pedestal, and I didn't, I don't want that. I want to help put everybody else I gotta do, do anything I'm like, if I spar with the best boxer in the world or the best UFC fighter in the world. I always tell them, you know, like, if you're gonna say something, don't say it about me. Just let them know. And Indian kid helped you, you know, I want them to know, like, hey, it doesn't have to be about me. If I do, you do American primeval, I want, I want them to see our people. Don't see me, see our people.
Marcus White 22:16
And that's that is as awesome, man, I think that, you know, being selfless, we need more of people that are like you and others in this world, just because, I mean, we need it, especially in this day and age and with the with the younger generation, look looking up And, you know, begging for for that help. So with that all said and done, what do you want your legacy to be? And not just Hollywood, but for your people, just
Derek Hinkey 22:50
trying to make a positive impact on everybody? I feel like you know, like you said about your wife out 6000 people, but I believe not that number. She'll never understand that true, true number, because, like throwing a pebble in a pond, those ripples are gonna ripple, or she'll never, ever see. So you multiply that. It's like a force multiplier. So like, how did you you find your your people in communities and environments, and try to make those communities, people and environments better, you know, try to make their quality of life better, their happiness better. And I think that's just at the end of the day is, is understanding like I have a choice every day. I wake up with a choice on I can affect my people, communities and environments in a positive way or a negative way, you know. And for me, it just staying grateful that, hey, I'm I can do, I can do this. I can I can bring this good medicine, and hopefully that medicine will go to
Derek Hinkey 23:48
shore, that I'll never that's nice.
Dr. B 23:51
Oh, Derek, I love it. I love it, you know, um, my my grandparents were the Nez medicine man, and my mom's dad, my Chase what we call them, he always used to tell us that we have two eyes and two ears, and you could hear bad things, and you hear good things. You see bad things, you see good things, and you have a choice to live a good life or a different life. And he always say, life is going to be hard no matter what. Like he always used to say, if you want to not work and be lazy, then your life's going to be hard because you're going to live in poverty. If you want to get up every day and go to work, your life still going to be hard because you have to get up and you have to work hard. It's just dependent on what type of life you want to have, because you're going to experience struggles on both, but your path is really up to you. Yeah, I love it. I'm hearing a lot about positive impact. Is Eric, you know, I feel like you're such a good role model as a. Person as a male, native, as a father, as a brother, as an uncle, as a son, a grandson, all of it. And so you know, my organization, United native, this year, we are hosting our annual missing and murdered indigenous relative summit at UNLV on Wednesday, October 15, and you had committed to be a panelist on our male allyship panel. I would like to know why is it important for you to be an ally for the missing and murdered indigenous relatives, initiative.
Derek Hinkey 25:43
I think presence is essence. And there's a there's a there's a search that people carry, especially the males, and understanding that, and I teach, teach my kids and everybody else around that I'm you're the first line of defense for my family, people, communities, and everybody that's under my banner. I'm a coach also at Las Vegas Krav Maga, and I want to try to encourage, you know, like we got to start taking care of ourselves and each other
Dr. B 26:10
Absolutely. Um, I, I know for this movement, there's especially a lot of native women and girls who go missing. Um, you as a native male, how do you? How does that? How does that impact you?
Derek Hinkey 26:27
You know, for me and my family, minded very strong arm, so it really hasn't impacted us. It has impacted the communities, and that's the one thing you know I want to teach my grandfather, Lester enke, was the first law enforcement very, very strong, very badass dude, for lack of words, and he would encourage my my dad has various multiple brothers, and he had one sister, he would always teach the kids box wrestling. And even my auntie, she was a boxer and a fighter too, you know. So it's just teaching them that you know, like situational awareness, making good choices, like your grandfather said, you know those choices you make, you know where you go, what you do that can affect your future, you know. And I think that's it for me. I think it's great to see things like this, because it creates conversation, you know. And I think conversation I was always taught, when conversation is happening, there's, there's two people learning here, the me and the individuals in the room were all learning together. But you learn so much more about yourself, you know, like, let's say I have things going on and I choose to be in the wrong environments that could get me hurt if I hear a conversation about, you know, why I shouldn't, shouldn't be there. You know, it's like that's encouraging me to, like, be aware of my where I'm going, what I'm doing, how I conduct myself.
Marcus White 27:48
Absolutely So Derek, again, you know, thank you so much for for joining, joining the urban rez, hanging out with Dr B and I. We greatly appreciate it, man. We know you are a a beautiful soul, and man, we continue looking forward to seeing what's up next for you, for the big screen. And we just thank you for making time for us
Derek Hinkey 28:12
today. Hey, thank you guys for having me, man. And you know, like I was saying earlier, I think I like to say us, we're doing this. You know, there is no me. So anytime you know something comes up, I always tell people it's natural for me to say, hey, we we landed this roller. We're doing this instead of just me, because I Carry, carry you all with me.
Dr. B 28:32
Man, yes, sir, we do. We love you. We love the people like we definitely are a unity group here. So we're all about we're all about spreading the love, the inclusion, and celebrating what differences we have, and not knocking them down, because everybody has something, a purpose in this life. So I know you. You lead that way. Derek, I've known you for a minute now. I do appreciate you, brother. Very much, and I'm always cheering for you, bro.
Derek Hinkey 29:04
Hey, thank you. Thank you likewise, man. I appreciate all that you guys both. Do you know for our communities that like that's huge, man
Marcus White 29:12
indeed. All right, everybody, have an awesome rest of your Sunday, and we will see you soon. Have a good Sunday. You all. Peace out the urban Rez is underwritten by global wave consulting, international specializing in IT solutions from network penetration testing and vulnerability management to SAP basis support and web application security. Global wave helps businesses stay secure and efficient in a digital world. For more information, global wave, ci.com
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