Pyramid Lake Paiute Tribe

Years of misinformation, cultural appropriation, and stereotyping have led to a lack of information and accuracy about what authentic Native American music is. But it is easier than you think to find relevant Native American music to teach in the elementary school classroom. With more than 500 tribal nations in the United States, you do not have to look far to find local culture bearers, many of whom will be willing, or even honored, to teach you some of their music and dance.

LOOKING BACK

Why is finding Native American music to teach in the elementary school classroom so difficult? It is because of policies in North America that created boarding schools into which Native children were forced, taking them from their families and stripping them of all cultural ways. These schools had extreme punishments for students who practiced any form of their culture and, often times, they were not allowed to visit, or be visited by, family members. They were unable to return home. Many Native children passed away in these schools. The harsh punishments and extreme enforcement of European culture did not allow any pride in or practice of tribal culture.

This system of coerced education did not end in the United States until the 1980s and in Canada until the 1990s. During the nearly a century it was in place it obliterated the many different tribal nations, as was its design. Even those who survived these boarding schools did not pass on their language or cultural ways, stunted by experiencing that they weren’t enough to get them through these schools successfully.

Further to this, music education preparation programs do not typically equip elementary music teachers with the tools they need in order to teach music from oral traditions, including Native American music. Most of the classes in music teacher preparation programs are not devoted to cultural music but instead to classical music that is learned through written notation. This leads to an unrealistic expectation of the music educator that they be able to teach the music of many cultures with only classical music training.

Amid all the hours that are spent studying, performing, and reading classical music, there needs to be equal time devoted to cultural music in order to avoid appropriation and continuing stereotypes. This includes the essential skill of learning and remembering music aurally rather than continually relying on written notation. I have never been to a Native American tribal event and seen music stands with written music on them for everyone to read. Sometimes words can be written down, but never the music. Learning Native American tribal music requires great aural skills.

MAKING LOCAL CONNECTIONS

Native American tribes are not a part of history, but are active communities thriving all over North America. From state to state, tribal nations change. Each has its own languages and customs, including music and dance. For example, in Nevada we have three main tribes: Paiute, Washoe, and Shoshone. Of those, there are 27 different tribal offices and headquarters, and each has their own membership policies.

Many tribal nations across the United States and Canada are in a cultural revitalization and are posting their songs and dances on all social media outlets. You can find various songs being sung in their cultural context on social media and are encouraged to use this as a primary resource if an actual culture bearer is not available.

Pow wows are another way to experience Native songs in a modern and cultural context. They happen every weekend in the United States and Canada and feature dancers and drummers who travel from their respective tribes and are able to engage in intertribal dance competitions and social dances. These modern-day events are open to everyone and include songs and dances that all tribes participating will recognize (even if they can be more complicated to teach.)

To get a true understanding of the music and its place in the tribal culture, you really should have the experience of attending a community cultural event or pow wow. A common misperception is that these events are far away and closed to outsiders, but that couldn’t be farther from the truth. These events are easily accessible and your students’ families will be very honored if you take time out to get to know them better. The families may even invite you to join them.

SOURCES FOR AUTHENTIC MUSIC AND DANCE

Most of the songs used by tribal nations are fun, simple tunes that are used for social dances, annual events, honorings, seasonal celebrations, lullabies, and ceremonies. (Ceremonial music that is sacred will not be given out by an actual culture bearer of a tribal nation because they know the cultural protocol and understand what should remain sacred.)

Once you identify the tribes local to your area, seek out YouTube videos of their music and dance. It is important to listen to more than one video to gain a foundation of what the music sounds like. Educate yourself by listening not only to music of the local tribe, but also to music of surrounding tribes. Do some exploration of your own student population to learn what tribes may be present in your classroom in order to pinpoint what types of songs to find.

Connecting with your local tribes will be the best place to start in your quest to find appropriate music and dance to teach in your school. Learning cultural music is an ongoing process that requires experiencing the music in its context year after year. Just as you cannot master instrumental or vocal technique with one song, you cannot master—nor cover the topic of—Native American music with one song from one tribe.

There is never an end to the learning. Simply attending a workshop, class, or training will not properly equip the classical music educator to teach cultural music in context immediately, at least not without appropriation being added or stereotypes being furthered. This can be compared to the amount of time it takes to master an instrument and be able to play the standard repertoire with great technique and high quality. The same is true for cultural music.

TEACHING NATIVE AMERICAN MUSIC WITH AUTHENTICITY

Once you’ve built relationships with culture bearers or attended a culture event with singing, watch how the singing is performed. Before you teach a Native song, it is important to know what type of voice is being utilized. Most songs that are sung use belting along with the head voice, but tribes change from state to state and one may use lower voices, harmony, etc. Teach the songs using the voice that is most traditional to your local tribes. (In all cases, Native American music should be taught by rote in elementary music classes.)

While knowing and learning tribal songs that are local to your area is the best way to ensure you are presenting authenticity and relevancy, it is important to listen to various Native American tribal songs so you develop your ear sufficiently to know when a music education resource has gotten it wrong. The influence of the Hollywood Westerns and the music associated with them has led to romanticized versions of the history of Native song and appearance.

These stereotypes are ubiquitous in music books, magazines, and databases. The songs “Land of the Silver Birch” and “Canoe Song,” for example, are not in any way representative of Native tribal music. These songs do not follow any type of drum beat or use melodies that are found in Native tribal music today and are an example of a lack of quality music that exists for music educators to use. As a Native American music educator myself, I cringed the first time I heard these songs because I know the stereotypes they affirm, and because I know that there are better examples of partner songs that do not further stereotypical music that only reinforces ignorance of a mischaracterized culture.

As one constantly in my culture and visiting other tribal nations, I am deeply aware of how very different our music is. Other educators can build this vital awareness by listening to actual contemporary examples on social media. There is a world of high-quality aural songs to discover, learn, and bring into the classroom today with the help of the living culture bearers who are singing old songs and creating new ones.

Seeing the music and dances in their context is also extremely important. While there is, within the Orff pedagogy, room for creations of rhythms and movement, Native cultural music predates this pedagogy and must be approached differently. Native cultural music serves a purpose in an already well-established culture and cannot be changed without direct contact with a culture bearer. Songs are to remain with their distinct drum beats and dances intact. To do otherwise to a Native nation’s song without permission from that tribal nation is complete appropriation.

EXPLORING THE VAST WORLD OF NATIVE AMERICAN MUSIC

Learning about our music in a way that is authentic, rather than continuing to propagate stereotypes and further spread misinformation, is an integral part of being a culturally responsive and respectful music educator. It’s also easier than it’s ever been.

Native American nations are not a thing of the past but are flourishing at this moment, with a song and dance revitalization that is easily accessible. There is a wealth of good information available through online sources and social media that can assist you in the classroom and give students an accurate portrayal of Native American people today. Even better, reach out to local tribes to meet them, learn from them, and even participate in their cultural celebrations. Your students, and you, will be better for it.

Published as "Giving Cultural Context to Teaching Native American Music in the Elementary School Classroom" From the October–November 2019 issue of Activate Magazine. © 2019 Heritage Music Press, a division of The Lorenz Corporation. www.activatemagazine.com. Used by permission. Title abridged for DTMR website formatting.