Actor and activist Russell Means, who is best known to movie fans for playing the titular character Chingachgook in the 1992 hit "The Last of the Mohicans," has died according to NBC News.

He was 72.

Born on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation, Means joined the American Indian Movement in 1968 and rose to national prominence five years later, helping lead a standoff with federal authorities at Wounded Knee in 1973 that lasted 71 days. Continuing his activism, Means later ran for President, narrowly losing the Libertarian Party nomination in 1987.

But for film fans, it is his second career in Hollywood that means is best remembered for. After starring opposite Daniel Day-Lewis in "The Last of the Mohicans," Means continued filming numerous high profile projects, including appearances in 1994's "Natural Born Killers" and 1995's "Pocahontas."

According to the Internet Movie Database, Means, who was battling esophageal cancer, continued working right up to the time of his death, with three projects listed as being in post-production.