If you get the honor to attend one someday, you will notice that although both men and women pledge and dance that only the men use the whistles. It is one of the most beautiful sounds of the Earth, these whistles played in time to the drum and songs. When I was a young man a Lakota medicine man came to our house in Colorado and showed me and my brother the way to make these sacred whistles, the prayers and offerings to be made and the state of mind to adhere to when making them. Since that time I have been asked to make several for ceremonial purposes and somewhere in the land this summer those whistles will be singing out to the spirits again. It is very important to follow these teachings we have been given as they have real roots in knowledge about the spiritual world.
Today there is a resurgence in traditional flute music.
Many artists have become very well known with their music and much more is being heard on the different media as well as in public performance. Some are sticking to the classic styles while others have expanded their performance to the worlds of Jazz, New Age, World Beat, and Rock. I haven't heard a Blues flute yet, but I'm sure someone is experimenting with that genre now as I write. I have always loved the sound of flute music and am glad to see it growing again in the Native communities. When I was young there were very few players, it seemed to almost die out till the early eighties when many young men began to play.