Ryan Abrahamson

Ryan Abrahamson is the son of Mary and Howard of the Spokane Tribe. He was born on his reservation and was raised around the pow-wow drum, singing, dancing, fighting, and creating. At an early age, Ryan understood the written word, recorded sound, and moving loud images to be the ultimate forms of idea communication and artistic expression. For eighteen years, he trained to be a writer, musician, and filmmaker to change the world’s view of his people and his people’s view of themselves. He is now signed with a literary agent and working on his third novel, and he owns his own company, Counting Coup Media, the only American Indian digital media company in Spokane. He still drums and sings the old songs with his family at powwows.

Ryan received 2019 GAP Award funding for American Indian, an experimental album utilizing newly created instruments made out of Native-American drums, shakers, and cello strings with Salish vocals. The funding will allow Ryan to reach out to other Native-American artists and drum groups to record their vocals and purchase raw hide and wood to create new instruments.