1. Week 7 Chapter Presentation
Native American Music
Shireen Ghaznavi
MUS266

2. Old Ceremonial Traditions
Song is short – similar to nursery rhyme; presented in large group and part of elaborate ceremonies/rituals
Peyote ceremony of Plains tribes – each singer sings songs
Yeibechai of Navajo
Hako of Pawnee
medicine-bundle ceremonies of Northern plains
the Blackfoot Sun Dance which is a major religious ritual of tribes in U.S.

3. Native American Cultures and Music
One to two thousand tribal groups in North American(each tribe about members) speaking distinct languages
Each tribe had own musical culture, repertory, style, and ideas about music.
They used songs in ceremonies to accompany dance and to draw boundaries between subdivisions of society such as age, clan, gender.
Culture areas in U.S. –Anthropologists classified about 6-8 groups
Each culture area had unique characteristics:
Types of housing- wooden houses, teepees, cliff dwellings
Ways of acquiring/preparing food- fished, hunt buffalo, grew corn
Clothing
Religion – guardian spirits, complex ceremonial life
Economic/political structure – rigid class structure with slaves, informal egalitarian societies,

4. Unity/Diversity in Native American Music
Music is homogeneous, monophonic, usually vocal
Few distinct singing styles – all have tense sound, pulsations on longer notes.
All singing accompanied by percussion (drums/rattles)
3 types of song predominate
Strophic–folk/hymn-like, stanza is repeated many times
2 contrasting section of music(one higher)alternate.
Very short songs of 1-2 lines repeated often

5. Unity/Diversity in Music(continued) Music Areas
PLAINS
singing style emphasize high pitch, rhythmic pulsations on long tones, tension, harshness.
Form consists of stanzas – short phrase repeated and descending phrases ending with low, flat cadence and repeated.
EASTERN UNITED STATES
Great variety of forms
Several short phrases with varying arrangements
Rounder more relaxed vocal; singing is alternated by leader and a group(call and response)
YUMAN(Southwestern U.S./ parts of So. California)
Relaxed vocal style ; implements the “rise” where phrase is repeated and interrupted by higher contrastive section.

6. Unity/Diversity in Music(continued) Music Areas
ATHABASCAN Navajo/Apache)
Large vocal range, nasal sound
PUEBLO (Papago, Southwest U.S.)
Singing style similar to Athabasca and Plains; but low, harsh, pulsating vocal style; long complex forms
GREAT BASIN (Nevada/Utah)
Small vocal range; each group of phrases repeated once
NORTHWESTERN COAST (Oregon, Washington, Alaska)
Singing style- pit voice and drum against the other
Complex rhythms; polyphonic tradition

7. Ideas of Music Music is simple form with little interaction
Oral tradition
More complexity underlying form than one hears
Technical complexity not a criterion of musical quality
Music integrates society, ceremonial events
Music has supernatural powers
Songs exist in cosmos- exist through human dreams

8. Musical Instruments DRUMS provide rhythmic accompaniment to singing
Large – 2 heads
Small hand drums
Kettledrums filled with water for tuning
RATTLES
certain kinds associated with particular type of ceremony
Made of gourds, turtle shells, deer hooves, hide pieces sewn together
Decorated with feathers, paint, animal skins
Other idiophones include clappers, small metal bells introduced by Europeans
FLUTE
restricted uses; melody producing
End-blown and duct flutes(recorder)
MISCELLANEOUS INSTRUMENTS
simple reeds, trumpets, bows, violin

9. History of Native American Music
Small amount of composed music – oral tradition
Native American music documented since the coming of the white people
Knowledge of ceremonies/rituals forgotten because tribes wiped out, relocated, famines, epidemics
Western influence created new musical developments (began 1890)
Music as a weapon to fight back against cultural absorption
Music as a weapon to preserve cultural identity
Types of modern music:
The Ghost Dance – messianic cult, thought to help in combat, bring back dead and restore buffalo
Peyote Music- peyote religion, based on hallucinogenic effects of cactus plant; identifiable by “meaningless” vocables.
Powwow culture(1950-)most significant trend, strong cultural identity, romantic and amusing music
Women in music has increased

10. Modern North American Indian Days
Modern popular music – preservation/protection of environment
Coexistence of several events – traditional & modern
Powwow(tribal gathering) – members of singing group sit in a circle facing one another with their drums. Dancer with flamboyant costumes; solo dancing. Singing groups are called Drums
Gambling games from ancient tradition which includes singing
Western music performed by
Native Americans