Native American Songs

1. By Thomas W. Timmons

2. “All Native American cultures have singing in
their traditions” (Tibbett 15)
They would sing to a baby or child. Often they
would sing to remember a war hero or heroine,
“ask for good weather, or perform a blessing
ceremony. Sometimes songs are composed
by an inspired person. At other times they
come to people in dreams, or in visions,
offering
wisdom and guidance” (Tibbett 15)
These songs were considered to be “given” to
him or her by a higher power.

3. Singing and vocals are often the most
essential part of Native American
music and ceremonies.
Songs carry important tribal
history,values, the power to heal, or
bring good luck in hunting.
Some songs were considered sacred
and only performed at special
ceremonies.

4. Instruments were used with singing
during ceremonies but were more of
a way to keep a rhythm than to
display instrumental talent.
Flutes were traditionally not used
during ceremonies, but rather as a
way for men to make love calls to
women.

5. For an example of a ceremonial dance with music, click the
above link
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7GLu1oKgD7g&feature=player_embedded

6. Singing Styles
“In Plains singing, both the men and the
women sing.” (Tibbett 23)
The women would sit behind the
drummers and make their voices carry
over the men’s voices.
“In many songs, the singers begin
singing on high pitches and then
descend
down to low pitches in the course of a
song. Plains singers are also known for
adding shouts, or yips and howls, in the
middle of a song” (Tibbett 23)

7. Singing Styles
It was common for singers to imitate animal noises in their
songs to add effect and/or out of respect for the animal.
“Inuit (Eskimo) throat singing in the Arctic is a style of
singing usually performed by two women. The singers
stand close together with their faces almost touching,
repeating low sounds in a fast, pulsing rhythm. The singing
goes back and forth,
and can go on for a while or end abruptly when one of the
singers laughs or smiles. Throat singing is said to represent
the sounds of animals and birds.” (Tibbett 23)

8. Singing Styles
Native Americans, just like African
Americans, would sometimes use a style
called “Call-and-Response”. This is where a
chief or spirit leader would call out and a
chorus would respond.
In eastern tribes, men and women would
also do this.

9. Passing It On
“The oral tradition is the practice of
passing words or songs from one
person to another by telling or
singing; this practice has kept Native
American songs alive for many
generations” (Tibbett 13)

10. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VP1J1lbj7BI
A link to Plains Indian Sundance and Grass
Dance song

11. Sacred
“Sacred songs are like prayers. They can be
requests for guidance or calls for
help. They can be used as an expression of
worship or a way to show thanks...Sacred
songs are often performed in ceremonies for
special outcomes.”(Tibbett 16)
These sacred songs are very rare for an
outsider to hear. One would have to be a
Native in order to listen and/or be part of the
ceremony.

12. The Protagonist
Like all other cultures, the Native
Americans had heroes and heroines. They
would sing about these protagonist and
about their adventures and battles and
success.

13. The Warrior
“Warrior songs offered power for
fighting and success in war. In
many traditions, warrior societies
sang and danced in ceremonials
that called for success and
protection in war. The women sang
songs of missing the warriors, and
sang of their relief when the men
returned” (Tibbett 18)

14. A link to a Cherokee War dance
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LEl-yJQvXaE&feature=related

15. Nature
Many of the Native American songs are
about nature. They would sing in respect to
nature or tell myths or legends about it.
Song about a warrior who goes out and
learns from the animals is common.
Legends about how this world came to be
and how the Natives were part of it with
equal stature with all the wild life and growth
and land.

16. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZZ7KZkE5ekw&feature=related
A link to Apache Mountain Spirit ceremony

17. Lullabies
“Parents have always sung to their babies to
soothe them and to teach them. In
old times, lullabies offered “sleep magic” to
lull babies to sleep in cradleboards
hanging from trees, rocking to the rhythm of
the song. Lullabies also offered
gentle instructions for how to grow up with
good values and skills. Mothers sang
to their daughters about being good sewers
and gatherers. Fathers sang to their
sons about being good hunters and warriors.”
(Tibbett 20)

18. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_P_zmSJDaDE
To the mothers out there
Here's a link to a Lakota Lullaby

19. The Song Types
“There are three classes of
songs—traditional songs,
handed down from generation
to generation; ceremonial and
medicine songs, supposed to
be received in dreams; and
modern songs, showing the
influence of European culture.”
(Native American music 2)

20. Traditional
Traditional songs are the songs the Native
Americans sang before the outside influence
of the Europeans. These song would be about
many things and are the heart of the Native
American music that we know today.

21. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=onkhsNq_7oQ&feature=related
A sample of traditional music

22. Ceremonial & Medicine
Native Americans would use ceremonies to
help promote many things like health,
strength, and spirituality. Many of these
songs and ceremonies involve dancing.
Before, and sometimes after, a harvesting
or a battle or a hunt or many other things,
Native Americans would hold these
ceremonies to honor their creator, ask for
guidance, help in battle and/or with the
hunt, give thanks for the harvest, ect.

23. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HQGW5a0q51w&feature=related
The ghost dance

24. Modern
Modern Native American music is any
Native American music with European
influences. The Native American flute
became very popular with the Europeans
and it is often found in most modern
music today.

25. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KQ5ZU1HDPLQ
Very modern Native American music with
modern day instruments and chanting

26. Even though a lot of the
Native American culture
was lost or destroyed,
their music still lives on
today.

27. Works Cited
• Crawford, Richard. An Introduction to America's Music. New York, NY
W.W. Norton & Company, 2001. Print.
• Erdoes, Richard, and Alfonso Ortiz, eds. American Indian Myths and Legends.
New York, NY: Pantheon Books, 1984. Print.
• "Native American music." The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia.
© 1994, 2000-2006, on Infoplease.
© 2000–2007 Pearson Education, publishing as Infoplease.
17 Nov. 2010 <http://www.infoplease.com/ce6/ent/A0834979.html>.
• Tibbett, Teri. Native American Music. N.p., 2004. Web. 13 Nov. 2010.
<http://media.wiley.com/product_data/excerpt/41/07879725/0787972541.pdf>.