Essay On Native American Tribal Music

Firstly, the reason it has been kept alive is because Native American dance teaches values by incorporating them into their movements and themes. Dancing is a creative and entertaining way to continue teaching younger members of the tribe about what they are to believe. Secondly, Native American dance tells stories of their ancestors. Dances passed down from generation to generation allow the younger generation to understand and interpret the dances and learn about the past. Without dance some tribal members may not know about their history. Finally, Native American dance keeps tradition alive. Dance has been around since the beginning of the Native American people. It is a way to pass on messages and teachings from the earliest tribes. Dance is so essential to Native American history, that it has been transmitted since the earliest Native Americans.

Many dances and ceremonies were performed in order to honor harvests (Keyworth 37). Along with honoring harvests, environmental concerns were the basis for the majority of ritualistic practices and dances (Hill 37). As for religious ceremonies, they were held in “circular…semi-underground buildings” (Burke 8). One tribe specific to California, the Chumas, praised wooden posts that represented a certain power or entity as mentioned in Through Indian Eyes (Walker 272).“[T]he Deer Dance” was another spiritual dance performed to emphasize power, birth, and the deer as an animal itself (Hill 38). “[T]he Brush Dance,” “the Jump Dance,” and “the Feather Dance” were also performed according to The Encyclopedia of North American Indians (Birchfield

There are hundreds of Native American tribes and millions of people that are within North America that identify themselves as Native Americans. Each tribe has their own unique customs, language, and myths. However, within the confines of this paper I will take a broad view with regards to Native American customs and traditions from a small sample of tribes that were observed prior to the vast expansion of colonizing the west.

Native American music has many different musical styles. Within every Native American tribe there is a variety of musical styles and instruments. In response to the research that I have conducted, there are three main musical styles that are going to be my point of focus. The Sioux Grass Dance, the Zuni Lullaby, and the Iroquois Quiver Dance are the principal methods which contribute to Native American music.      

This is clearly a large part of Native American history so some people might find it really odd that there was nothing specific to this tribe about their music and how they performed it. According to the Power Point that my group made on tribes from the Southeast, music was used in this area for ceremonies and Powwows (see group presentation). Our Power Point says that instruments used in the music are mainly water drums, striking sticks, rattles, and cylinder drums (see group presentation). According to the Southeast Native Americans website it says that people in this region generally have the same religious beliefs and that religion is “animism”. Along with the basket making that the Chitimacha tribe takes part in, the people in the Southeast region also enjoyed pottery (Southeast Native Americans).

Culture, as defined by the Merriam-Webster dictionary is stated as “The integrated pattern of human knowledge, belief and behavior that dpends upon the capacity for learning and transmitting knowledge to succeeding generations. The customary beliefs, social forms and material traits of a racial, religious or social group. The set shared attitudes, values, goals and practices that characterizes an institution or organization. The set of values, conventions or social practices associated with a particular field, activity or societal characteristic.” Of these four definitions, I shall be focusing on the second one to discuss what makes up the culture of American Indians.The culture of the various tribes that made up the Native Americans is one of close knit families, highlyspiritual peoples and living together as one with the land they lived on. They believed in spirits, worshiping and honoring them. Some settled into single locations while others were nomadic, but all had a focus on working with the land around them. Because there are so many varying tribes that make up Native

Due to the wide range of habitats in North America, different native religions evolved to match the needs and lifestyles of the individual tribe. Religious traditions of aboriginal peoples around the world tend to be heavily influenced by their methods of acquiring food, whether by hunting wild animals or by agriculture. Native American spirituality is no exception. Traditional Lakota spirituality is a form of religious belief that each thing, plant and animal has a spirit. The Native American spirituality has an inseparable connection between the spirituality and the culture. One cannot exist without the other.

  Comments: Question 16. Question : American Indians did not have a word for music in their native languages because:

Native Americans had their own way of passing down wisdom of their culture. They passed their stories orally, that today is read in history books. Even after the written word had spread across the globe, Native Americans still primarily used storytelling to pass down their spiritual, mythological, and historical beliefs. Many people have heard one of these passed down stories, also known as myths or folktales.

Every country and nation has they own special festivals and music, and Native American is no exception. First, the native music related many aspects such as ritual, life and work. They like to combine music with dance, and the Native American music always created rich percussion instruments. For example, the hand drum, log drum, water drum and rattle, etc. Powwow is an important festival and ritual for the Native American, and it is a symbol for the tradition culture of Native Indians. Powwow, is a social gathering by the Native American tribes, and they singing and dancing. Powwow is not only a method that the Native American expresses the enthusiasm of the life and peace, but also enhances the sense of identity and cohesion. Hence,

Across America, countless tribes and cultures have been practiced for centuries. There is so much diversity amongst these people ranging from the north eastern Iroquois to the south western Hopi people. Even though these people live in such different lifestyles, many of the indigenous tribes have similar perspectives on the world, especially after western expansion during the 1800's. Tribes, no matter where they are geographically, all have some sort of tradition or ritual that they do which can be for spirits, new and old, or for the people themselves. Three individual indigenous people who are some of the more well-known in modern day standards are the Hopi, Navajo, and Lakota people. All of whom live in different locations across North America.

Regarding culture the way Indian tribes keep their heritage alive was through stories and song. The elders in the tribe

American Indian life in the present time can be characterized as one big melting pot. Some societies try to preserve their own identity, while other groups came together in some way and brought their cultures together. A lot of what is known about their music has come from the past century when technological advancements were just beginning to take place. It was also during this period of time that there was a lot of turmoil between the whites. It was obvious that each tribe had its own musical identity, whether it dealt with style, uses of, or ideas of what music was. At that time there were thousands of groups, all speaking their own language, and each had several songs to accompany ceremonies, dances, and to divide society. Anthropologists have put them into categories according to their ways of life.

Due to the popular interest in flute music, you can now buy Native American flutes online, in various music stores, and in specialty shops that sell Indian musical instruments and western style home decorating accessories. If you are looking for an easy instrument for playing or decorative purposes, or are searching for real Indian musical instruments to use in Native ceremonies and events, consider keeping the culture and instruments of Indian people alive with the peaceful tones of Native American flutes.

The history of American music begins with a fundamental process of exchange through all different social lines, where diverse cultures meet, and mix. Music has and always will be defined as sounds that are arranged in a particular pattern that are played to be meaningful and pleasurable. The chronology of music began in the Medieval period, when chanting was introduced into the Church. Music has then moved its way through many stages: renaissance, baroque, classical, romantic and leading up to 20th century American music. American 20th century music is made up of a diverse number of styles that are reflected by cultural traditions and the era’s of the past. Immigrants from Spain, France, England, Germany and Ireland all contributed and brought their own unique styles to the forefront, hence creating American music. African Americans created influential musical traditions that include rhythm and improvisation that were later combined with European traditions and other indigenous music.