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Chapter 11
By: Hannah Gregor
Ceremonial Native American
Traditions
Societies
Past
Songs in Native American
culture are very short, like a
nursery rhyme or hymn Each tribe had its own musical
culture, repertory, musical style, uses
In ceremonies, songs are placed of, and ideas about music
in large groups to perform 1,000-2,000 individual tribes in North
Religious ceremonies last hours, America, each with a distinct
language
or even days
Example: Yeibechi (“Night Present
Chant”)of the Navajo
requires nine days and nights Some tribes still maintain their
to perform individuality
Even in secular performances, Others have been forced to share
songs are grouped together to reservations with other tribes, and
have developed a unified culture
perform
Some ceremonies are intertribal
Example: performance of
Most Native Americans have
Stomp Dance conformed, but in music and dance,
they express their roots and culture
Native American Music
Similarities Differences
Native American music is almost Each tribal group has its own
always monophonic and mostly unique repertory, and musical style
vocal Even neighboring tribes differ from
There are many distinct vocal styles, each other
but they all share a tense sound and Seven music areas
the pulsation on longer notes Plains
Three types of forms dominate Eastern United States
Strophic songs – like folk songs or Yuman (Southwest United States
hymns, a stanza is repeated many and parts of Southern California)
times Athabascan (Navajo/Apache, also
Very short songs consisting of one or Southwestern US)
two lines repeated many times Pueblo (Papago, Southwestern US)
Two contrasting sections alternate Great Basin (Nevada and Utah)
Almost all singing is accompanied Northwestern Coast (Washington,
by percussion Oregon, and parts of Alaska)
Ideas About Music
What is it and what
Music reflects culture
does it do?
Why are the songs so short? A Blackfoot singer said, “The right
Oral traditions make it difficult to way to do something is to sing the
pass on complex compositions right song with it.”
If you listen carefully, the music is
complex on a microscopic scale Women had a smaller and
Native American music is judged separate repertory, but may join in
using different values than
men’s songs
Western music
Music has supernatural power in Women have a different singing
style – more nasal and smoother
Native American cultures, so
with pulsations being ornaments
every ceremony has an rather than rhythmic references
appropriate song
Songs that come in dreams have
special power
Musical Instruments and
Singing
Most music is vocal and almost all instruments are percussive
(idiophones)
Solo drumming is rare
Most widely used melodic instrument is the flute
Some reeds and trumpets are used on the North Pacific Coast
The musical bow is similar to a hunting bow but is used as a
musical instrument
Songs do not necessarily have words nor do need to be
elaborate
COMPLETE texts of two Blackfoot songs:
“Sun says to sing” – from Song of the Sun Dance ceremony
“It is spring, let others see you” – sung at the beginning of a medicine
bundle opening ceremony, prior to the bundle being opened
Native American Musical
History
Little direct evidence, but circumstantial information allow
reasonable deductions
Since Native American music shares traits with Asian music,
scholars deduce that Native Americans arrived from Asia in
waves beginning at least 14,000 years ago
South American and North American Native American music
share some aspects, but differ in others
Shared: forms and singing styles are similar, as are ideas about
music
Different: in South American Native American culture, women
participate more heavily than in North American, as well as more
instrumental music
Native American Music in
the Present
Since the coming of white people, Native American musical culture has been
greatly reduced
As Native Americans were relocated and epidemics swept through their
populations, most ceremonies and songs were lost
Some Native Americans adopted the idea that music is composed by humans
and are not supernatural, and the idea of music as entertainment was accepted
Other Native Americans began to use music to fight against the oppression and
to preserve their culture
The Ghost Dance songs enriched the Plains Indians’ music
The songs of the peyote religion (peyote is a drug from cacti) are easily
recognized and aspects of the music have come from different tribes
There are Christian hymnals with Christian songs in the traditional Native
American style
Powwow style music began in the late 20th century from Plains music and
traditions
Part of the powwow repertory are 49 songs with mildly amusing and romantic
English lyrics
Women in
Native
American
Music