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. .
The Native American’s way of living was different from the Europeans. They believed that man is ruled by respect and reverence for nature and that nature is an ancestor or relative. The Native American’s strongly belie...
"American Native Spirituality." American Native Spirituality. Tahtonka, 28 Feb. 1998. Web. 27 Apr. 2014. .
Scientists have recently discovered links to the Kiowa and Aztec religions. For example both tribes worshiped a stone image, Taimay, and both tribes followed a pictographic calendar. The language that the Kiowa spoke can be traced back to the Uto-Aztecan language like Latin and English. The Kiowa languages also have connections to the Bannocks, Comanche’s, Paragons, Paiutes, Pima, Shoshones, and Utes. The Kiowa and Aztec preformed many dances of praise including the Sun Dance. However, the Kiowa also had many unique dances including the Scalp, Corning, Feather, and Ghost praising nature and life. Each dance was preformed to celebrate different achievements. For example, the scalp dance was preformed when men returned ...
In Native American culture, the ceremonies and performed in kivas. One ceremony is the Whirling Log Sand Painting. In the Navajo tradition, healing requires the ritual restoration of hozo, or the beat of the harmony of the world. Following the sand, painting is destroyed. Another ceremony found in Native American cultures is the corn dance. The intention is for the rain to come down from the sky and nourish the sprouting of the corn. In African ceremonies the use of drums is common. The drums evoke the passion of the different dancers by the spirits and their ancestors. Masks are used to represent the ancestors that are called by the drum into the bodies of
This paper addresses the results of interviews, observations, and research of life in the Ottawa tribe, how they see themselves and others in society and in the tribe. I mainly focused on The Little River Band of Ottawa Indian tribe. I researched their languages, pecking order, and interviewed to discover the rituals, and traditions that they believe in. In this essay I revealed how they see themselves in society. How they see other people, how they see each other, what their values were, what a typical day was etc. I initially suspected that I would have got different responses from these questions but in reality the results in the questions were almost completely the same. I studied this topic because mostly all the people that are close to me are associated in the Ottawa tribe. I additionally love the Native American culture, I feel it is beautiful and has a free concept.
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.
The book America’s Musical Landscape starts by looking back to early North American Music from the American Indians, to the religious and non religious music of the European and African settlers. According to the book “Native American music was and is song, sometimes supported by instruments.”1 The Native American used different types of instruments to accompany their songs or chants such as the drums, flute and rattles. Like music for us today the Native Americans used music in all different aspects of their lives. The early European settlers br...
Upper Missouri River area. Eastern Sioux, 19th century. Wooden board, buckskin, porcupine quill, length 31″ (78.8 cm). Department of Anthropology, Smithsonian Institution Libraries, Washington, D.C. Catalogue No. 7311
A brief description of the Pueblo Indian culture and religion are needed to get a full understanding of why their dances were misinterpreted by white settlers and why the Indians were judged and treated in such an unjust way. Pueblo Indians lived in Arizona and New Mexico and had a very different culture religiously than the white man. White religious history shows us that women were not seen, in European and new American culture, as not being significant to religious practices. In the Pueblo religion, however the woman was regarded in a different light. They rarely practiced in religious rituals but were the center of their people’s religion. Pueblos had rituals that were performed exclusively by men, and there, these men imitated women’s reproductive pow...
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.
“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.
The Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act established Indian nations as the owners of Native American cultural objects, including human remains, which were found on Federal land. It requires that the American Indians provide substantial amounts of information to validate their claims. However, only federally recognized tribes are recognized under this act, so if you are an unrecognized tribe good luck claiming anything that belongs to you. After this, the existing anthropological literature will be consulted. In some instances, Indians will disagree with the literature and take steps to correct it. Indians are also likely to provide additional information that had not yet been documented. The interpretations will be written from the perspective of the claiming tribe, how they view the world, and their perception of significance of objects in religious ceremonial rites. While some might raise the question of scientific objectivity, no one will deny that this perspective had often been lacking in the literature. These interpretations are bound to bring about new insights which will challenge earlier assumptions (5).
McMaster, Gerald, and Trafzor, Clifford E. eds. Native universe Voices of Indian America. Washington D.C.: National Geographic Society, 2008. Print
2. “Cherokee Culture and History.” Native Americans: Cherokee History and Culture. N.p., n.d. Web. 02 Mar. 2014. .
Doxtator, Deborah. Excerpts from Fluffs and Feathers: An Exhibit on the Symbols of Indianness, A Resource Guide. 1988. Revised edition. Brantford, Ontario: Woodland Cultural Centre, 1992. 12-14. Print.