Charles Allan Hill was a multifaceted individual, born in 1951 in Detroit, Michigan, with a rich cultural heritage that spanned Oneida-Mohawk-Cree ancestry.
Growing up, Hill's family relocated to their ancestral homestead on the Oneida reservation in 1962, where he was deeply rooted in his Native American heritage.
In 1969, Hill graduated from West De Pere High School and pursued his passion for the performing arts at the University of Wisconsin–Madison, majoring in speech and drama.
During his college years, Hill was an active member of the Broom Street Theatre Group, and later, he even toured Europe as a member of the renowned La MaMa Experimental Theater Group, based in New York City.
After college, Hill's aspirations led him to Hollywood, where he began his career as a stand-up comedian and actor.
In 1977, Hill made his network debut on The Richard Pryor Show, and his subsequent appearances on The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson, The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, and Late Night with David Letterman solidified his status as a pioneering Native American comedian.
Throughout his career, Hill appeared on numerous television shows and even hosted an evening of Native American comedians on a Showtime special.
Hill's remarkable story was chronicled in the PBS documentary On and Off The Res' with Charlie Hill (1999),directed by Sandra Osawa, and he was also featured in the documentary A Good Day to Die, discussing his experiences with American Indian Movement activist Dennis Banks.
In addition to his television appearances, Hill starred in the 1984 film Harold of Orange, showcasing his versatility as a performer.
Hill's personal life was filled with love and family, as he shared four children with his wife, Lenora: Dine' Nizhoni, Nasbah, Nanabah, and Nabahe.
Tragically, Hill's life was cut short due to lymphoma, which he battled for a year before passing away on December 30, 2013, at the Anna John Nursing Home in Oneida, Wisconsin.
