10 Things You Didn't Know About Tatanka

8. He Is A Genuine Native American

This may come as a shock to you, but there have been Native American characters in wrestling before who were not - GASP - actually Native American. For promoters, if someone looked like they could pass as being Navajo they would simply put them in a headdress, give them some panpipe music and say 'off you go'.

This wasn't the case for Chris Chavis, though. No, he was the real deal, something that promoters such as George Scott and Vince McMahon loved. Tatanka is a descendant of the Lumbee tribe in North Carolina and grew up in areas where his heritage thankfully wasn't a problem.

Indeed, while he may have encountered problems with racism and stereotyping over the years, Chavis actually resided in places where he didn't have to deal with that. He went to high school and college in Virginia, where there are a lot of native tribes.

Tatanka's over-the-top wrestling persona might lead you to believe that his character was just that, but he's 100% legit and takes great pride in his roots and providing a positive portrayal of a Native American person in the entertainment world (not like the ones in all of those old John Wayne movies).