The Brandon news. (Brandon, Miss.) 1892-1961, 1911-08-24

thera 10 tremendous wealth of Indian music to
be studied and chronicled In permanent form,-
each individual tribe having had from time I'M
memorial its distinctive songs and chants.
man who is attempting to compile complete PIC
torial record of the Indians has already spent
twenty years in the work and 1t is likely that
as much time will be required If there is to be
mirrored for the benefit of future generations the
distinctive music of all the various tribes.
Private individuals, musicians or scientists, have
from time to time In the past made enort In O
small way to perpetuate American Indian music
and while they deserve credit for what they
have accomplished 1t is an undertaking which
through It's sheer magnitude, IL for no other rear
son needs the resources of the national govern
ment That it Is prominently government func
ton Is likewise attested by the fact that 1t mas
promise of success only when prosecuted through
the organized channels of intercourse with the
Indians-channels which enable federal oh1cials
to get into the confidence of the more intellectual
men of all the various tribes In q. degree that
would scarcely be possible except In the case OF
an individual who lived for. many years among
the Indians whose secrets he sought
The governmental study and perpetuation OF
indian music is being conducted under the aus
pices OF the Smithsonian Institution and National
Museum at Washington. The bureau OF EthnoI
ogy is the particular branch OF this great seat
of research which has the Indian music investi
CATION In charge. Probably the most interesting
has to do with the activities of Miss Frances
Dengmore Miss Densmore. who Is an accom-
pIished student of music, has spent much Tune
among the Chippewas and other tribes whose
music is at once notable and representative ana
has recorded as many as two hundred songs De
longing to a single tribe.
Oddly enough the photograph has been the
chief means of capturing the songs of the for
est There is no system of written music among
most of the tribes and the photograph was nit
npon as the only possible means OF providing
the means of studying the music carefully ana
leisurely AS may be surmised 1t was anything
but an easy task to induce some OF the more SUI
perstitious of the red to sing into the strange
machine or to induce them to even permit the
recording apparatus to be set up within earsnot
4of their camp fires when there was In progress
those ceremonial rites and dances which call up
the musical lore of the savages.
Finally after much perseverance, however, az
Indian agencies and elsewhere the music hunters
have succeeded In making creditable beginning
IN securing the priceless photograph records OF
Indian music. In the case OF one or two tribes
the song collection of canned music" is prac-
tically. complete After records OF Indian songs
or music are secured they are transcribed 10 Pr
ano score and studied scientifically MeanWmie
the collection Of records will be kept on nlc TOT
the benefit Of the musical students OF future
generations who will find 1t priceless boon TO
hear the Indian music as originally rendered
The researches which have been mad 9 show that
indian music Is as complex as is the tribal life
Of the original Americans. An accompaniment o.
song il provided for every public ceremony as
wen "a for every important act In the career Of an
individual The music Of each ceremony has It's
peculiar rhythm, as have also the classes Of songs
which pertain to individual acts such as fasting
and prayer hunting, courtship, the PLAYING q
games and the facing or defying Of death an
lndian or person thoroughly versed ~ indian