Native American Indian Northern Style Music: Timeless Music, Endless Varieties

Native American Indian Northern Style Music

Injunuity’s performance at Native Roots and Rhythms festival 2008. CC BY 2.0/Wikimedia

Native American Indian Northern Style Music

While working for the Keeweenaw Bay Indian Community I was encouraged to come and see the film with Ned Romero playing the part of Chief Joseph entitled I Will Fight No More Forever. In one scene there was a drum, singers, and dancers, but the song made all of the Natives attending the movie laugh. I wanted to know why because the whole scene was intended to be serious and sober. I asked one of my co-workers from the Tribe what they were laughing at and he told me that the song came from a rendition created just after the Second World War. The song said something along the lines of “let me take you home after the dance, honey, in my brand new ’49 Ford.” It was then I laughed.

I have said this to draw attention to the fact that there are many styles of Native Music depending on where the musician is from. Available on the music market today are the expressions from the southwest Indians, the Indians who live in Cajun country, the Indians in the southeast to the Inuit and Yupik peoples living in the far north. Each is unique and I have by no means mentioned all the representatives of different styles.

The subject matter Native American Indian Northern Style Music is a bit of a misnomer because even in the Native Northern Style of music there are so many different types of expression and many of these expressions are available through the internet. In addition to ancient tribal variations are the new and fascinating paths modern artists have followed.

Music has played an important part in my own spiritual journey as well. You can read more about the music I have created and how it has shaped me in my book, Dancing My Dream, which can be purchased through this web site or through Amazon.com.

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