The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1913-04-09

SAVING THE IN
DIAN MELODIES
i X \ X )
Herbert Corey.

(By Herbert Corey.)
Washington, April 9.-The Ameri-
can Indian is to be given a square deal
! music. Godfrey O'Hara is to deal
Now. this is a perfectly low-brow
discussion Of a topic that belongs to
people who wear their foreheads
where the Psyche knot ought to be.
Therefore neither Mr.. O'Hara nor the
department Of the Interior is to be
hello responsible for 1t. I've seen good,
Kind. true-hearted instructors patient
singing Of camp meeting hymns.
Worse still. I've heard 'em. So that
as n item Of the great American
people / am screaming a personal pro.
test. l am willing to concede thai no
Indian on earth can sing Shall We
Gather at the River" in a fashion
Which would coax me to gather any
that Indians a sing their own songs
IN most impressive fashion-and that
their songs are worth preserving for
musical and other reasons. This con.
cludes my portion Of the entertain
ment. l know nothing whatever Of
counter-point. chain stitch, or close
harmony. Neither do the Indians. We
and Sankey toons.
O,Ha has been named by Secre-
tary Of Interior Franklin K. Lane as
instructor in native Indian music. His
JOB Is to encourage the Indians to sing
their songs in preference to the
hymns Of the white man. Then he
VIII eaten those songs on the phono-
Sraph, make master records, and
transcrfbe those records SO the songs
OF one tribe may be sung t O the men,
bers Of another tribe-if only for their
edtncatlons.and preserve them for the
instruction of posterity. That's 1usI
part OF his work. Perhaps an equally
important part is to coax the Indian
to turn himself loose musically. Fol
years past he has felt that for some
mysterious reason his songs have been
banned. The white man either stand
around and pulls a Lip when he sings
EN-. or else wants to make him give
a song cycle whenever q bunch OF
girls ride over from the nearest fort
me Indian resents being either chok.
ed or circused. He doesn't under.
stand.
The cold truth is that the singing
has been directed by the instructor
in the Indian schools. Some honesfl,
believe that the singing Of Indiar
songs by Indians is q relapse into bar.
demption of the race. They forge
that the hymns which have a YER,
sacred and. beautiful meaning to Vi
are meaningless to the Indian. The!
also overlook the fact that the Indial
has no idea. Of harmony of the whit,
mans sort. SO that he sings the whit,
mans SONGS as though he were f1linl
a saw. Other instructors think per
sons instructed should be required t,
sing as a part of education. NatuiaI
~. the instructor picks the songs, an
Il the only songs he knows are in tn,
hymnal or come from Tin Pan ALE.
well. those are tho songs they sins
: They have been wcll-meaning, but un
modern. and the plan they have fol
lowed has partially wrecked that won
, derful song heritage that has descend
ed to IN indian through uncOuntc,
! ages.
The dances original with the Indial
| have been frOwned on. too. Perhap
no Official order was ever issued
. Doubtless there nave been times of ex
, element when dancing was forbidden
because 1t IL such ar easy way b
which to gel lighting blood boiline
But there ha also been a disposition
to regard Indian dancing as "vulgar.,
Z Those who have a real frst-han
+ knowledge OF the Indian know this /
I simply foolish. His dances are with
out exception ceremonial or symbolic
There are more lascivious capers ca
i upon the broadway stage every nigh
4 than In the known history of all In
dian dancing. The poor little India
ttyke In the schools has no opportu