Music of Indigenous Americans

 

As we previously discussed in class, Indigenous Americans used different instruments in their music. Instruments were usually made with materials that were easily accessible and easy to transport. As I found myself googling different indigenous instruments, I discovered the eagle-bone whistle. According to the Wikipedia webpage on eagle-bone whistles, these instruments were used by several Indigenous American tribes as a religious tool to be used during sacred ceremonies. According to Wikipedia, the eagle-bone whistle is made from the bones of the American bald eagle or the American golden eagle. On the YouTube video provided, Jemez Pueblo plays the instrument and provides multiple variations of the eagle bone whistle. As you will find in the video, these whistles are made in different sizes, whereas each size alters the sound of the instrument. I also found it interesting that these whistles are made with different amounts of holes, which also alters the sound of the instrument. Lastly, the YouTube video also includes a copper version of the whistle.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eagle-bone_whistle

 As we discussed in class, several dances are performed at powwows. As I found these social gatherings to be interesting, I decided to find a specific dance that is performed at these types of gatherings. As I searched to find a traditional Native American dance, I discovered the grass dance. According to Wikipedia, the grass dance, also known as the Omaha dance, is a type of Native American men’s dance that originated in warrior societies located on the Northern Great Plain. According to Wikipedia, the origins and stories of this dance have been disputed. However, some origins state that this dance began with scouts who used the grass dance to bless the ground and flatten the ground before ceremonies. According to Wikipedia, the movements of this dance mimics the movements and the waving of grass. Costumes are also used in this dance, which consist of the roach feather, brightly colored fringe, broadcloth, and ribbons. In the YouTube video provided, the performer Oonig Paul Ward, demonstrates the grass dance as well as mentioning the significance of this dance. The performer in the provided video, describes the grass dance as being a way to bless the ground and to protect the ground from negativity especially before ceremonies.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grass_dance

We also discussed the Native American’s use of various types of drums in class. Whereas Native Americans often used instruments using the supplies around them, different types of drums were created. As this interested me, I decided to research more information about water drums, and discovered the Iroquois water drum. According to the provided article below titled “Traditional Native American Drums”, the Iroquois water drum is a small cup-shaped wooden instrument with water placed inside of it as well as a moistened material stretched across the top opening. This article also mentions that the amount of water and tightness of the supporting material on top of the drum alters the pitch and volume of the water drum. The water drum has been used by various traditional Native Americans especially the Iroquois tribes in ceremonies and social purposes. In the first provided YouTube video, the speaker explains the purpose of the Iroquois water drum as being a means to lift the spirit of those around and are used so people can dance, sing and simply be together. The speaker goes on to describe how the water drum is made; She mentions that most water drums are made from logs that are hallowed then covered with buck skin, or a similar material and sealed. Lastly, she goes on to provide a short example of a round dance song to demonstrate how the drum sounds. I decided to add the second provided YouTube video that demonstrates the water drum being used at a hand drum contest. I also found it interesting that the second video included a performance where only one man and one woman both sing a song together using the water drum. I found this to be interesting since most of the examples shown in class illustrated the traditional method of dancing and singing. Whereas the examples illustrated in class included larger groups of singers, that were typically in groups that only included their same gender. 

Traditional Native American Drums | American Native Arts and Antiques