Although Native Americans are known for their voice being a vital instrument, most rituals, songs, and dances are accompanied by an assortment of instruments such as, drums, rattles, flutes. Every instrument has it is own meaning and a purpose. In this section, the significance of these instruments as well as their structure and functionality is explored. The drums are a vital aspect to the Native American culture; they understand the drum to be more than an instrument. In a web article written by Elisa Throp entitled, “The importance of drums to Native American culture”, Elisa says, “It is a Voice. It is a Heartbeat. It is a prayer to the Great Spirit. The Native American Drum is all of these things, and more.” The drums are what the Native Americans use to connect to The Great Spirit and depending on the type of hide covers the drum the Native Americans use this instrument to connect with the animals and the Earth itself. According to the article, drumming are essential in education to talk about history, pass down ancient tradition, and tell stories to new generations. There are several different types of drums that are used throughout the Native American culture: the skin drum, frame drum, and the water drum. Each has different functionalities and sound. Also, they have some influence on present-day percussion instruments. The skin drums, which are used in the central areas of Rockies and in the Northern Plains, are composed of a single tanned hide wrapped around a wooden box and found wrapped around the players chest. The size, build, and function of this instrument are similar to a single snare drum in a traditional marching band. Next the frame drum’s build similar to the skin drum. It is composed of hide stretched acro... ... middle of paper ... ...ge Net: Preserving and Promoting Indigenous American Indian Languages. Web. 04 Jan. 2012. . "Native American Musical Instruments." Silver Bullet Marketing. Pearson Education Inc. Web. 04 Jan. 2012. . "Native American Rattles And Their Importance | Mission Del Rey Southwest." Rawhide Lamp Shades | Native American Indian Drums | Southwest Rugs. Mission Del Rey Southwest, 30 Apr. 2011. Web. 04 Jan. 2012. . Throp, Elisa. "The Importance of Drums to Native American Culture - by Elisa Thorp - Helium." Helium - Where Knowledge Rules. Hellium Inc, 19 Feb. 2009. Web. 04 Jan. 2012. .
Banks, D., Erodes, R. (2004). Dennis Banks and the Rise of the American Indian Movement. Ojibwa Warrior. Retrieved January 20, 2005, from http://www.oupress.com/bookdetail.asp?isbn=0-8061-3580-8
McClurken, J. M. (2009). Our people, our journey: the Little River Band of Ottawa Indians. East Lansing: Michigan State University Press.
The Native American flute is the third oldest known musical instrument in the world, with bone flutes dating back over 60,000 years. The first instrument found were drums, then varies whistle were made. Over time, the instrument evolved with many different materials and shapes. And these difference and changes reflect the culture of that time. Virtually, flutes were used all types of hardwoods and softwoods in history. They had many different configurations, 2, 3, 4,5,6,7 or 8 holes. The flute we used in class is 6 holes, and we also saw many different flutes in class, someone smaller, someone larger, someone with 3 holes, etc. The oldest flutes we have were made from wing bones of a Griffon Vulture [1] and a Whooper Swan [2], as well as one from mammoth tusk ivory [3].
Pueblo Indian. (2002, April). History of the pueblo indians (cont.). Retrieved March 12, 2003, from http://www.puebloindian.com/pueblo_history_003.htm
Popular instruments include clay panpipes, flutes, conch shell trumpets, and puma-skin drums”(Falconer, Kieran, and Quek 102). The music follows themes of religion, war, and profanity. Peruvians are always found dancing, whether at a festival, carnival, or just for fun. Music shows important parts of Peruvian culture. There are many types of dance in Peru.
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.
Thompson, William N. “Native American Issues.” A Reference Handbook. Contemporary World Issues. ABC-CLIO, 1996. Santa Barbara, California.
The smoke floats through the air and surrounds the village people. The eyes of everyone is on the village elder and no one speaks a word. This is a time for sharing the great history that the new generation must learn. Without written langue history and important lessons are spoken to the children of Native American villages. These stories’ hold a special meaning to the children as they are all they know about their ancestors. Often these stories have elements of mystical beings that help the Native people. In this way the people not only get a history lesson, but also a way of practicing religion. Each story is unique to the village and tribe that it was developed; however similar concerts can be seen as the
Percussion instruments are by far the most dominant of the four major instrument families. There are many different types of cymbals and drums, which are ...
2. “Cherokee Culture and History.” Native Americans: Cherokee History and Culture. N.p., n.d. Web. 02 Mar. 2014. .
People have been living in America for countless years, even before Europeans had discovered and populated it. These people, named Native Americans or American Indians, have a unique and singular culture and lifestyle unlike any other. Native Americans were divided into several groups or tribes. Each one tribe developed an own language, housing, clothing, and other cultural aspects. As we take a look into their society’s customs we can learn additional information about the lives of these indigenous people of the United States.
“It has often been said that the North American Indians ‘dance out’ their religions” (Vecsey 51). There were two very important dances for the Sioux tribe, the Sun Dance and the Ghost Dance. Both dances show the nature of Native American spirituality. The Ghost Dance and the Sun Dance were two very different dances, however both promote a sense of community.
“How Musical is Man?” was published in 1974. This book was written by John Blacking, a musician turned social anthropologist. His goal in writing this ethnography, and several other papers during this same time period, was to compare the experience of music-making that takes place within different cultures and societies throughout the world. In this book, he discusses and describes the musicology of the Venda people in South Africa. Though he does go to Africa to research and learn about the Venda people and their music, he specifically states that his book is “not a scholarly study of human musicality” (ix), but rather it is a summary (written from his point of view), which is both expressive and entertaining, of several different issues and ideas that he has seemingly been contemplating for some time.
SourcesAtwood-Lawrence, Elizabeth. The Symbolic Role of Animals in the Plains Indian Sun Dance. http://www.envirolink.org/arrs/psyeta/sa/sa1.1/lawrence.html (Feb 3, 1997) Eliade, M. (1975). Myths, Dreams, and Mysteries. New York: Harper and RowKehoe, Alice B. (1992). North American Indians A Comprehensive Account. New Jersey: Prentice-HallSchwatka, Frederick. (1889-1890). The Sun-Dance of the Sioux. Century Magazine. Pp. 753-759.Welker, Glenn. The Sun Dance http://www.indians.org/welker/sundance.htm (Jan 7, 1996)
Mainly the West Africans used percussive instruments. These drums came in all sizes ranging from ten to twelve inches to ten to twelve feet. Their drums were made out of hollowed out logs and gourds with a tight skin over the hollow. They also used idiophones to make music. They used a variety of bells, castanets, gongs, and sometimes they made small xylophones or small pianos. Aerophones weren't as prevalent as the percussions or idiophones. Some explorers made small flutes, horns and trumpets from elephant tusks.