Native American Music

Music From Around the World

Unit 2: Native American MusicHistorical OverviewNative peoples have inhabited the Western Hemisphere for thousands of years.

Long before Christopher Columbus in 1492,

Many nations- unique languages, traditions

Europeans invade and convert (history of tension and violence)

Racist laws (Removal and conversion)

Some cultures and traditions are now recognized, but Native Americans still face subtle racism today, and blatant disregard in Central/South America.

In spite of all these challenges, Native cultures and traditions survive to this day. There are more than 30 million Native peoples living in the Western Hemisphere. In the United States, there are more than 562 federally recognized tribes.The Pow-WowFirst used to describe a large gathering of Native Americans during the 17th centuryModern pow-wows are celebrations of Native American culture and include displays of tribal arts and craftsBasic Theme of all pow-wows = friendship and unity among all tribes

Stylistic RegionsEastern WoodlandsPlainsGreat Basin and PlateauSouthwest (Pueblo and Apachean)CaliforniaNorthwest CoastNative American MusicVocalization and percussion are the most important aspects of traditional Native American music. Vocalization takes many forms, ranging from solo and choral song to call and response, unison and multipart singing.Percussion, especially drums and rattles, are common accompaniment to keep the rhythm steady for the singersVocables (syllables such as hey, ya, loi) that do not have a direct translation but nonetheless have meaning in culture are frequently used

Use of Music in CultureReligious CeremoniesHealing CeremoniesWork songsGame songsStorytellingCourting songsSocial songs and dancesSongs to bring success in hunting, war, and agricultureSYMBOLISMSong TopicsHistorical songsTribal flag songs National anthemsCourtship songsDancing songs

Dance FormsCircle Dances Flag SongGrand EntryEagle DanceJingle DanceHoop Dancing

The hoop represents the circle of life, which has no beginning or end, as well as the endless cycles of day and night and summer and winter. In some tribes, hoop dances have a healing role to restore balance and harmony to the world; these dances are generally not performed outside of healing ceremonies or for outsiders. Those kinds of hoop dances that are performed or featured in competitions and at pow-wows are called intertribal dances.

Lets Watch!! Tony Duncan performs Hoop Dance at HEARD MuseumTook home 1st place in the Adult Division at the 2011 Hoop Dance CompetitionAs you watch, take note of what shapes you see him make with the hoops! What could those shapes symbolize?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gS0QshbclDA