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ETHNIC FOLKWAYS RECORDS FE 4253.~~~,~MUSIC OF THE ALGONKIANSETHNIC FOLKWAYS RECORDS FE 4253
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L11>rary of C~ngress Catalogue 9ardNo.72~750895©1972 FOLKWAVS RECOROS AND SERVICE CORP.
701 SEVENTH AVE., N.V.C., U.S.A.
DESCRIPTIVE NOTES ARE INSIDE POCKETMUSIC OF THE..

ANS~.~CreeMontagnais
Naskapi
RECORDED AND EDITED BYOWEN R. JONES, JR.
COVER DESIGN BY RONALD CLYNEETHNIC FOLKWAYS RECORDS FE 4253

ETHNIC FOLKWAYS LIBRARY Album No. FE 4253
© 1972 Folkways Records and Service Corp., 701 Seventh Ave., NYC USA

MUSIC OF THE ALGONKIANS"4~Cree Montagnais Naskapi
RECORDED AND EDITED BY OWEN R. JONES, JR .

a letternotes
10 Sept 64

Arrived in Schefferville 28th evening ofAugust, We sat in the iron-red mud underdrizzling skies eating our cold Campbell's andbread supper, then reported in to the Mounty
station for a place to sleep. Arrive: ourfirst benefactor, George Hackwell, a mineworker who offered his shack near the Indian
reservation. The following morning George'sfriend and foreman, Monsieur George Falardeau,
asked if we'd like to pass some time at hisfishing camp some forty miles north in thebush. There we had wonderful fishing - agross of Brook Trout in one day - and founda few cold Indian camps with bleached bonesof animals scattered about. After a week ofthis frustration of no flesh and blood Indians,
we arrived back in town, saw Father Sear the Catholic potentate on the Indian settlement - who introduced us to one Sebastian
McKenzie, a 78 ·year old Montagnais Indian.
In 1911 he left Sept-lIes (on the St. Lawrence)for the interior and, for a number of years,
was manager of the Hudson Bay Company tradingpost at Fort McKenzie. (The Indians apparently
change their names after they've done somethingbad, or when they're sick so that the evil
spirits can't find them.) McKenzie sang acouple of hunting songs, a couple of "remembering people" songs, and related some episodes
from his very colorful life. All these songs(sung by one individual) derive their words
from a dream the individual had. These dreams
they believe to be true, as well they might,
because they do come true. The tunes are inborn, naturally. McKenzie's English is only
occasionally intelligable (though he does
speak passable French), thus the few stories
he told are not commercially usable. There
are a few other Indians - mostly Nascopee who speak better English, but these people
are shy, and it will take time before we canget them on tape. In many instances they
feign ignorance of English. McKenzie ~ave me
one important fact: all Indian songs (dreamsongs) except those sung at weddings are sungin the bush before and after the hunt. I've
asked him if we might go along with a hunting
party into the bush, but he's sceptical: "One,only one of you, maybe," But when we get toknow them better this attitude may change.
Also gifts may help. They're very poor,

The Cree, Montagnais, and Naskapi songs inthis album were recorded September, 1964 at
an Indian settlement in Schefferville, P, Q.,
Canada.
They are not ordinarily sung for generalamusement except when they accompany a dance.
Even then it is more the drumbeat and not thesong itself which is important to the dance.
Rather they are sung by a hunter to assure
good fortune in his hunting, which, in thepast, was the Ungava Peninsula Indian's onlymeans of subsistance. These songs are 'personal'
songs in that they are verbalized sleep-dreamsof the singer. One man does not sing thedreams of another.
Today, under the influence of white man's
culture young Indians in the settlement mock,
ridicule these songs and dances which were so
important to survival.
There are two types of drum beats that accompany these songs, The difference is explainedby a Nascapi hunter at the beginning of bandside two, The two-beat accompanies the dance;
the steady, non-accentuated beat accompanies
the hunting song. In both cases the words
originate in or describe a dream.
A single skin wooden drum is played by thesinger. Stretched equatorially across theface of the drum is a thin length of gut on
which is threaded 3 or 4 one inch long ptarmigan quill tips. The quill tips are spaced
about two inches apart and lie flat on theface of the drum. A second such snare lieson the opposite side of the skin in a longitudinal direction. These snares (meequais)
produce the buzzing sound which at first gives
one the impression that the reproduction hehears is somehow distorted.
Recorded and Edited by Owen R. Jones, Jr.

We intend to stay until the-weather forces
us southward, According to reliable local
sources this weather will occur with determination ip three weeks to a month.
Sinc erely yours,Owen JonesIside one
Band 1.

Band 2.

Song by Sebastian McKenzie

Band 1.

Not translated (sang this son~ 30years ago)

Talking: I'm going hunting with my family
next week. Maybe I'll catch an otter orMartin. That's why I sing.

Song by Sebastian McKenzie

Singing: I'm going to try to catch something for my family this winter. I'm goingto hunt with my two sons.

Sings of hunting black bear in the wintertime. A sharpened pole is poked through thesnow and wakes the sleeping bear who, as heemerges, is shot.
Band 3.

Sebastian McKenzie

That's all hunting song that. Dream that.
See? Wake up in the morning, some dream that
he me understand what kind dream. Maybe someotter, maybe some fish, maybe some caribou,
maybe some - anything that. No make, Indian,that him alone: dream that. All Indian likethat. Some make a song for fun. This kindof song no myself made: in my sleep that.
Some Indian he like only tent, like the same
as before Indian in the bush. No house.
When him do that like the same like before,
dream him all the time true; and here inside
not so much true that him dream.
- Funny that he can't make him - man him Indian that - he can't make like the same
white man: anything he sing that him, everything sing that. Indian not the same. That'sdream, that him. That him true song. Whenno dream, and then him sing, a man lie. Whiteman - everything what he sing that no dream he's lie.
Band 4.

Two songs by Sebastian McKenzie
Not translatedBand 5.

Two songs by Sebastian McKenzie
Not translatedBand 6.

When I see a Caribou, if I catch him, I'll
be happy. That's why I sing : so I can catchsomething.
Band 3.
I hear the people coming to dance.
laughing. It is a good sound.

They are

Band 4.
When I was young - before I was married the first time I went to hunt - Father was
still alive - he said "if you want to catch
something you have to sing ." When I wasyoung I used to stay inside. Then one day
I said "I am going to hunt. I am !?,oing tostay outside all the time to hunt. 'Talking: That's why I sing - when I walkoutside if I want to catch anything - thatJs
why I sing. (same song continues)
Band 5.
If I don't catch something after I sing, thenI shall sing again. (repeat) Sometimes I
sing and catch. Then I sing and don't catch.
I sing again and I catch.
Band 6.

John Enish

I shot a Caribou.
a Caribou.
Band 7.

Sa~e

I never miss when I shootwords as Band 6.

Joseph McKenzie (Sebastian's brother)(a)

I can teel that it is hunting time soon.
It's a good feeling. It will be a goodhunting year.

(b)

I woke early in the morning to go hunting.
When I went outside I saw a nice woman.
Nobody knew who the woman was.

(c)

As I walk in the bush, hunting, a big
wind comes. The trees bend and there
is a laud noise. A nice noise. It ismy father. He is a good friend.

Band 7.

Band 2.

Joseph McKenzie, Jr.

Translator:

Band 8 .
In the winter I can catch anything: Mink,Otter, Martin, Caribou. I stay outside allthe time. If I don't catch something, I sing.
Then I catch something.
Band 9.
I went on a river with a canoe. The canoe
didn't make any trouble because I sang a song
before I went on the river.
Band 10.

'These songs are not for fun. They are forhis hunting; for his life. If he sings themfor fun, he won't be successful in his hunting. He will not tell you the words that hesa ng. "We will go to the bush - you and I. Maybe
you will catch something, maybe I will catchsomething. I will sing. You will sing.
Tomorrow maybe you will catch something,maybe I will catch something. I will catch
something. Because I am a man.

Band 8.

Band 11.

Dreg McKenzie (also Joe McKenzie'sson)

Whenever I want to catch anything hunting ortrapping, I see where it is when I'm sleeping.
That's why I catch things.
lIT HO IN

u.s....

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