Tokala Black Elk is an Oglala Lakota actor and activist, a direct descendant of the holy man Black Elk, who gained recognition for his roles in Taylor Sheridan's Westerns, including Sam Stands Alone in Yellowstone (2018) and a Lakota warrior in 1883 (2022). In 2024 and through early 2026, he transitioned to comedy as a series regular in the NBC sitcom Happy's Place, starring as Takoda, a mild-mannered waiter and handyman who was recently revealed to be the frontman of a heavy metal band. His 2025 credits include a starring role as Buffalo Run in the Netflix limited series American Primeval. Beyond his screen work, he is a certified teacher of the Lakota language and a long-time advocate for Indigenous representation, having notably testified before the U.S. Senate at age 13 regarding the naming of the Little Bighorn Battlefield.