Cool Stuff: Music of Native Americans

As a student majoring in both biology and music, many people ask me why both? There was no exact reason as to why I am doing both, except for the fact that I genuinely love both. So, to make it easier on me I try to find connections between the two. Sometimes, if you look hard enough, they are really there. Since my primary focus for biology is to one day become a pediatrician, I can't help but think about the children of the tribes. We really only talked about the adult population of Native Americans, but what about the children? Growing up, didn't your parents sing to you any lullabies? I know mine did! So, after some digging, I learned there is not a lot of information on the web about children's lullaby songs. However, I did find something!

Lullabies for Children

In 2011, The Cherokee Nation Foundation released a CD with some of their most traditional lullabies on it. The lullaby above is titled Usdi Yona which translates to "little bear" in English.  It is one of the lullabies featured on the CD. according to the the Cherokee Nation Foundation, the reason I was actually having a hard time in finding any information was because the Cherokee are very private people. Songs typically stay within the tribe. To them, singing to their children is a very sacred and intimate thing. the reason the songs were actually recorded, was so that the children can learn them, grow up and teach they're children. According to the foundation, these lullabies, in many instances, were traditionally sung by men!

Native American Flute

As a flute player myself, I thought it only fitting to talk about the Native American flute. the Native American flute was traditionally made out of wood, but now many are made out of plastic. The flute has up to 5-6 holes in it, but some can actually have up to 7-9 holes. I learned that the flute is played a type of scale called the pentatonic scale. In Native American culture, the flute actually became a huge part of their music culture. It is used in meditation, sometimes healing ceremonies and even used for courtship.

The Eagle Staff

I was particularly interested in the Eagle Staff, when I heard it be mentioned briefly in the video we watched in class, I wrote it down and the more I have researched it the more fascinated I have become in it! It seems to be, that depending on what tribe you are from, the different meanings for different aspects of the staff there are. Like many elements of Native American culture, this tradition of the Eagle Staff has been passed down from generation to generation. According to Natalie Flynn from Gateway Gazette, the eagle was most likely chosen because it is believed that eagles communicate directly with the creator, which in turn, made the eagle an honored and sacred symbol. It is said, that when one is holding the Staff, whatever visions they have, they must follow those because they are directly from the creator. Which is why, whoever holds the Staff must not be on any mind altering substance and be pure of mind. Not every Staff is alike and I believe that is why it is such a meaningful part of the Native American Culture.

Covid-19 Tidbit

Native Americans are used to pandemic threats, thanks to small pox and measles, but how are they handling Covid-19? Well, according to "Eco Watch," some reservations are unfortunately reporting more cases of Covid-19 than that of the U.S. population. Remembering that elders are the keepers of all of the indigenous traditions, they are the ones who are especially vulnerable. And with the absence of vaccines, immunity within the tribes is lessened. When a sickness occurs, remember that the elderly are the ones who perform healing ceremonies and thus expose themselves further. Politically, tribal governments are being questioned by state and federal governments about their legitimacy as a government, so closing their borders to tourists who may carry the virus is anything but an option. In fact, a governor in South Dakota even threatened legal action against two tribes! Moral of this story, be respectful, wear a mask, do your part!