native americans of the pacific northwest

NATIVE AMERICANS OF THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST ARCHIVE
NATIVE AMERICANS OF THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST FULL

The vocal technique performed in this video in addition to the communal striking of a single drum are less like that of the Pacific Northwest tribes and more reflect the practices of Great Plains indigenous tribes such as the Apache, Cheyenne, and Comanche. The video above was captured at the Puyallup, Wa 2019 Pow Wow (held on the campus of Chief Leschi School). Usually the men around the drum sing along to their percussive beat, but women and other men standing around the drum circle also often participate, with the women singing up on a higher octave or harmony. This rhythmic tempo provides a foundation for dancers and also singers. Groups (usually men) of relatives, friends, or drum teams will assemble with beaters seated around a drum and strike the drum head together in unison. The music generated by the Pow Wow drums is considered one of the most important aspects of any Pow Wow. The Pow Wow serves as a way to exist in a larger community of which many indigenous populations do not have access to in their daily lives. In addition, members of many tribes may come together to make music and art together as a way of embracing their shared “Indian-ness” regardless of the tribe they represent. In these events, Native Americans from many tribes across the United States participate in “show and tell”-type displays of their tribal dance and music.

NATIVE AMERICANS OF THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST FULL

These events would be held for a day, a weekend, and even up to a full week as a way for different tribes to preserve, display, and share their individual cultural practices: most especially dance, music, and art. In the 1920’s different indigenous tribes began to meet together in cultural celebrations and exchanges known as POW WOWS. The response I received was gratitude that our class is learning about our local indigenous music practices and an explanation that the spiritual nature of Salish musical practices prevented tribal members from performing or speaking about them in an academic classroom setting.ĭue to forced migration, assimilation, and movement to reservations across the United States and off historic tribal lands, the indigenous American tribes of the late 19th and early 20th centuries faced more and more dissolution of their traditional practices and ways of life. Bove) reached out to several tribal musicians and cultural liaisons, inviting them to share their music and cultural practices with our class. Upon embarking on the research for this class, I (Dr. While record of many music and dance practices exist, descriptions and explanations are sparse as tribes tend to keep the purpose of their musical offerings private.

NATIVE AMERICANS OF THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST ARCHIVE

Music exists to archive and recite historical events and religious stories, pray to deity, and elevate everyday and singular activities in tribal life. Much like indigenous Australian practices, the musical traditions of many indigenous North Americans are considered to serve a religious function, obscuring the line between secular life and sacred connection with a higher power.

Vocables also help to create rhythmic pattern and structure within a song. It is suggested that the use of Vocables help tribal singers to create a more resonant soundscape to connect with the earth in addition to the ability to share music across tribes who speak different languages from each other. Examples in the English language are words like “uh-huh” and “uh-oh”. Examples in Native American songs include the word “hey” and “yah”.

Often and especially in more recent times, the lyrics of the songs include or are made up entirely of VOCABLES which are non-lexical words that do not carry specific meaning. The vocalizations are generally monophonic (sung by a soloist or a group in unison) and usually follow a textural pattern of male soloist, followed by men in unison, followed by women joining in an octave higher with a drum accompaniment keeping steady beat. In general, the music is vocalization-heavy, relying on instruments to accompany voice and/or dance (but even most dance music is still vocal). The tribal music of the Pacific Northwest has many similarities to music of many tribes across the United States and Canada.

Native americans of the pacific northwest