Native American Flute Traditions Flashcards
Wind instruments prevalent across the Western Hemisphere before human contact included…
panpipes and flutes.
How do the longevity of Western hemisphere wind instruments compare to each other?
(1) Panpipes: Vanished in North America by 1700
(2) Flutes: Continued to spread and evolve
The introduction of horses by Europeans in North America affected areas where flutes were played by…
broadening the areas.
courting flute
wooden block flute
The courting flute spread from…
origins in Great Plains outwards with the expansion of Native tribes known as “horses cultures”.
The spread of the courting flute resulted in…
its use for courtship across broader geographic location.
river cane flute
block flute
The river cane flute was primarily found in…
the American Southwest through the Southeast Woodlands.
River cane flute contrasts from the courting flute due to…
(1) Different material: Split/hollowed river cane
(2) Different construction
(3) dissociation with courtship; Separate cultural/ceremonial significance
The context of flutes across the North America included…
use in different ceremonial/cultural contexts depending on region and tribe that showcased versatility and overall cultural significance.
(1) Great Plains: Courtship
(2) Northeast: Curing rituals
(3) Eastern Woodlands: Signaled peaceful intentions when approaching unfamiliar town
Flutes were constructed by…
Splitting a stick/branch open, hollowing it out, then adding holes for airflow.
Flute were tuned based on…
maker’s measurements with no specific pitch matching required.
What were the two most common styles of flutes?
(1) Undecorated styles
(2) Bird’s Head
The symbolism of the Bird’s Head flute was…
to demonstrate male power or depict a waterfowl bird, which mate for life.
The practice of playing flute was culturally significant in Lakota society because…
(1) Culturally acceptable way for man to court a woman
(2) Utilized in complex courtship process where man had to win the heart of women and convince parents he could support her
Flute performance declined during post-reservation era because…
(1) Societal changes no longer supported the complex practices of courtship by flute playing
(2) Traditions faded as tribes were confined to reservations
Two major flute performers on the Plains during the post-reservation era were…
Richard Fool Bull and Belo Cozad.
Richard Fool Bull (1890-1981)
Flute maker of Lakota people
Sold instruments to tourists on Pine Ridge reservations
Belo Cozad
Flute player of Kiowa people
Toured Bureau of Indian Affairs schools performing/telling stories for students
Role as culture bearer
New songs created during the revival of Native flute-playing traditions inspired by…
programmatic influences such as weather, beauty of seasons, the Oklahoma landscape, and personal relationaships with others.
Inspirations in the new songs differed from earlier Native flute practices by…
(1) Moving beyond courting traditions and into programmatic music inspired by nature and spirituality
(2) Opening door for instrument to be perceived in a new way
(3) Using instrument as vehicle for performance outside of specific tribal tradition
R. Carlos Nakai
The significance of Nakai’s albums Changes, Carry the Gift, and Natives was…
(1) Changes was marketed to non-Natives interested in New Age spiritual practices
(2) Carry the Gift was a collaboration with lutenist Willian Eaton: Moved beyond solo performance and experimented with matching pitches on instruments tuned to Western diatonic system
(3) Natives explored fusion of Native flute and common Western instruments with keyboard player Peter Kater: Emergence of flute circles (Improvisation)
Distinctions created by Pauline Tuttle to understand Native flutes and flute performance included…
(1) Framework through usage of specific terms
(2) “American Indian flute”: Refers to old-styled instruments tuned to physical dimensions of their maker
(3) “Native American flute”: Refers to instruments made to play in Western diatonic system
(4) Allowance of instruments and their performance to be somewhat disentangled from issues of race, representation and appropriation
Questions regarding the appropriation and representation of Native flute traditions in contemporary contexts include…
(1) Why are non-Native people drawn to a traditional instrument played out of its traditional context?
(2) Ownership, respect, authenticity, accuracy, appropriation, appreciation, and impact
