The Changing Soundscape in Indian Country
odd: label: Introduction
content: The program of American Indian music at the 1992 Festival represented as broad a range as possible of non-traditional musics being performed contemporaneously on reservations and in urban Indian communities. The curators felt it appropriate in the year of the Quincentenary to demonstrate some of the musical repercussions in Indian Country of the initial Columbian "encounter." Many of the performers came from very conservative Indian backgrounds; some were even religious practitioners, maintaining and providing the music required for ancient ceremonies. But some chose to go beyond the traditional music they were brought up with, to adopt other styles, to take up non-Indian musical instruments, to create songs with English texts in a contemporary idiom, and to perform before non-Indian as well as Indian audiences. This musical direction was a relatively recent development, which probably began with the protest singers of the 1960s.

Although European origins might have been discernible in many of the traditions presented at the Festival, it was Indian music, played by and for Indian people. Thus waila functions as a popular idiom for the O'odham on a Saturday night in Arizona, as does country and western, or blues in bars or nightclubs on or near reservations in other parts of North America, or marimba or brass bands in small town festivals throughout Mexico and Central America. Because music is never static, traditions continue to evolve, and the program taught Festival visitors to expect further changes in the soundscape of Indian Country in years to come.

Thomas Vennum, Jr. was Curator, with Arlene Reiniger as Program Coordinator and Dennis Fox, Jr. as Program Assistant.

The Changing Soundscape in Indian Country, co-sponsored by the Smithsonian Institution's National Museum of the American Indian, was made possible with the support of the Music Performance Trust Funds and the government of Nicaragua.
label: Fieldworkers
content: Keith Secola, Tom Vennum
label: Presenters
content: Elaine Bomberry, Olivia Cadaval, Jacob Coin, Rayna Green, Daniel Sheehy, Nick Spitzer, Bob Tenequer, Tom Vennum
label: Participants
content: Participants

Akwesasne Singers,  -- Mohawk Music -- Akwesasne Singers, Mohawk MusicBrad Bonaparte, cow-horn rattle, Akwesasne Mohawk NationMike McDonald, water drum, Akwesasne Mohawk NationKariwate Mitchell, 1976-, cow-horn rattle, Akwesasne Mohawk NationAronienens Porter, 1975-, cow-horn rattle, Akwesasne Mohawk Nation

Cherokee Indian Baptist Choir -- Cherokee Indian Baptist ChoirJ.B. Dreadfulwater, 1932-2002, director, tenor, Tahlequah, OklahomaLouise Dreadfulwater, 1929-, soprano, Tahlequah, OklahomaGeorgia Glass, soprano, Stillwell, OklahomaJohn Goodrich, 1931-, bass, Stillwe11, OklahomaFlorence Hummingbird, 1918-2004, alto, Stillwell, OklahomaLouise Lacey, 1936-, soprano, Rose, OklahomaJoanne McLemore, 1925-, alto, Stillwell, OklahomaSanders McLemore, lead singer, Stillwell, OklahomaLaroue Miles, alto, Stillwell, OklahomaMose Sanders, bass, Kansas, Oklahoma

Fiddle Styles

Lionel Desjarlais, 1955-, guitar, Winnipeg, Manitoba

Lawrence Houle, 1938-, Manitoba fiddle, Winnipeg, Manitoba

Brian Johnson, Turtle Mountain fiddle, Belcourt, North Dakota

Todd Martell, 1968-, guitar, Belcourt, North Dakota

Bill Stevens, 1933-, Yukon fiddle, Fairbanks, Alaska

Francis Williams, guitar, Fairbanks, Alaska

Alex Gomez Band,  -- Waila Music --  ("Chicken Scratch")  -- Alex Gomez Band, Waila Music ("Chicken Scratch")Albert Alvarez, accordion, Tucson, ArizonaRoger F. Carlos, 1942-, lead guitar, Tucson, ArizonaAlex Gomez, saxophone, Coolidge, ArizonaTimothy Gomez, 1968-, drums, accordion, Coolidge, ArizonaDennis Lopez, 1965-, bass guitar, Tucson, ArizonaLucious Vavages, 1974-, drums, accordion, Topawa, Arizona

Nicaraguan Marimba Group -- Nicaraguan Marimba GroupCarlos Palacio, guitar, NicaraguaJuan Palacio, guitarilla, NicaraguaManuel Palacio, marimba, Nicaragua

White Boy and the Wagon Burners,  -- blues, rock -- White Boy and the Wagon Burners, blues, rockDugan Henhawk, saxophone, vocals, Nedrow, New YorkJohn "Kapp" Kappusniak, keyboards, Nedrow, New YorkKent R. Lyons, 1961-, bass guitar, Nedrow, New YorkRex Lyons, guitar, Nedrow, New YorkPhil Regan, drums, Syracuse, New York

Sharon Burch, guitar, Santa Rosa, California

Vincent Craig, 1950-, guitar, harmonica, Window Rock, Arizona

Brent Michael Davids, 1959-, composer, flautist, Tempe, Arizona

Murray Porter, 1960-, keyboards, Ohsweken Reserve, Ontario
name: label: Collection Creator
content: Smithsonian Institution. Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage
setName: label: See more items in
content: Smithsonian Folklife Festival records: 1992 Festival of American Folklife
dataSource: label: Archival Repository
content: Ralph Rinzler Folklife Archives and Collections
identifier: label: Identifier
content: CFCH.SFF.1992, Series 2
objectType: label: Type
content: Archival materials