Reading Journal #13

     The reading by Rayna Grass and Howard Bass, entitled Heartbeat: Voices of First Nations Women, basically explains how Native American females have been able to make important contributions to the music industry and/or other things in their respective culture(s). This text basically states that women are a significant part of the Native American culture and music business, despite seeming to be inferior to men in certain cases. The general idea of Native American women specifically not being equally involved in the musical business in their respective cultures definitely makes sense to me, due to the fact that most of the musical pieces by Native Americans that we were assigned to analyze for homework generally had male voices being heard through their entireties. One part of the Native American culture that women play key roles in is ceremonial events. The text mentions that females are distinct in their own special ways from males in these events by being head workers a good portion of the time in healing processes and have certain vocal abilities that make them the only ones capable and/or suitable for singing certain songs that males usually would not be as good for. Another part of the Native American culture that women play active roles in is glorifying relatives, clan, and tribe. One thing that the Native American women usually do in this case (along with men) is perform vocal musical pieces that glorify their elders. One other part of the Native American culture that women play a specific role in is the playing of musical instruments. It is mentioned that in more relevant times, some Native American females including Geraldine Barney and Lillian Rainer have been able to properly handle the flute, which certain Native American groups have used as a major tool in the overall structure of their musical pieces. One last part of the Native American culture that women play important roles in is companionable dances and plays. The text mentions that in these events, women usually tend to perform romantically and passionately themed musical pieces. It is also mentioned that due to the fact that these specific songs have a certain amount of promiscuous language within them that they are handled by both females and males. In conclusion, it definitely seems to me that in Native American culture, like other cultures, that women are labeled as the inferior race. This is especially true to me since some of the practices in the Native American culture and/or music industry (like some of the ones mentioned above) mandatorily require women to work in alliances with men, whether they may like or not, and they end up preventing individual women from working independently and/or without help in these certain tasks and/or situations.
    

Reading Journal #12

     In the reading entitled Indian Dance: A Celebration of Survival and Adaptation, Charlotte Heth discusses the multiple and distinctive ways in which individual Native American dances are organized and performed in the present day. Before talking about them, it is important to note that Heth mentions that there are certain factors present throughout the lives of the Native Americans that have led to this variety in the way individual groups of Native Americans approach their dances and that explain why it is so. She explains that one of the main reasons for this variety is due to certain historical events that made their ancestors loose some of their original ideas for their dances. This involves the fact that many Native American dances were prohibited from being practiced by individual human beings and specific organizations from specific races of people, including the whites and the Spanish. The reading reaffirms the fact that some of the main dances that were targeted for termination were the Sun Dance and the Ghost Dance. The latter of these two dances has been discussed as a major method of rebellion by Native Americans against white officials trying to claim their lands, and it came to be associated with the likes of Kicking Bear and Sitting Bull, as discussed in the reading Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee. Another one of the main reasons why there is much diversity is due to the fact that a number of Native Americans now use old dance techniques as well as new dance concepts in their dance performances. A statement in the text that addresses this idea is, "While repeating ancient songs, dances, and ceremonies is necessary to maintain certain social, religious, and curing ceremonies, the creation and performance of new songs and dances is equally necessary to ensure sustained interest and continuity" (Heth, as part of the introduction to Native American Dance: Ceremonies and Social Traditions which covers pages 1-18 of the text). These statements remind me of how Native Americans, after enduring many years of restrictions on their rights to dance from the 1800s to the 1900s, had to come up with new ways of approaching music since a lot of original practices could not be recalled through memory. This also involves how Native Americans eventually created new instruments, dances, and such that reflected certain outside influences but still had some aspect of their own culture embedded in them. An example would be the Apache fiddle, as discussed in one of our earlier readings, which first arrived somewhere in the 1900s and became popular around the 1950s. It these specific reasons that have led to the vast differences in the ways Native Americans address their dances.
      The reading mentions a number of ways in which Native American dances are usually distinct from each other and/or how they have changed from older generations to the younger generations of the Native American people. One part of Native American culture that showcases at least one of these ideas in groups of these people is the specific instruments that are used to play the music for a particular dance. The reading mentions that certain instruments have managed to still make an impact on the younger generations of Native Americans, such as, "the drums; the hand-held rattles; the strung rattles worn on the dancers' arms, legs, and torsos; the flutes; conch-shell trumpets; whistles; hollow logs; rasps; and striking sticks among them" (Heth 7). Along with this statement, it is said that new choices from the list of possible instruments to play focus on the replacement of rattles and bells made from original substances for those that are comprised mainly of metal. Some parts of this statement definitely hold true to what I have learned, because drums and metallic rattles/bells have been the main instruments used and heard in many of the compositions that we were assigned to listen to on a couple of homework assignments. Another part of Native American culture that showcases a least one of these idea involves the specific locations where groups of these people end up performing their cultural dances. The text says that in the case of the Native Americans that they are people who reside in a number of different locations on the Earth, which includes rural, urban, and other kinds of places as well. In addition, the text says that despite the fact that numerous dances and events take place most of the time by Native Americans residing in or close to reservations or that have a living in in rural sections of the U.S. and Canada, that novel locations - such as urban social events and/or powwows - are the key for the makeup, alterations, and persistence of specific heritages, initially ones that come from the Plains. One other part of Native American culture that addresses at least one of these ideas is the specific structures of dancing in the performances by these people. The reading says that these structures are special in their own distinct ways due to the fact that Native Americans are not similar to each other not just in the sense of trying to compare them to other peoples, but also from each and every individual around them. In addition, the section goes further into detail about this when it states that within these dance structures, "One finds few solos, yet many ensemble forms. Many of the latter have a leader and a chorus; some are unison groups, others groups with featured soloists; a few have dancers with individualistic styles" (Heth, as part of the introduction to Native American Dance: Ceremonies and Social Traditions which covers pages 1-18 of the text). This idea reminisces the fact that individual dances at powwows generally never have a concrete way of being performed, since a specific person who is actively involved in this has the ability to blow a whistle which changes how long a specific dance will go on during the powwow and this varies each time. In conclusion, this reading basically provides a certain amount of information that readers need to take into consideration when they learn about Native American dancing.
      
    

Reading Journal #11

     In the reading entitled Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee there is a basic explanation of the conflict that arose between Native Americans and the white people that sought to claim the Native Americans' land as their own. Some of the general events mentioned in this conflict involves the Native American tribes, who were supported by Sitting Bull, refusing to give in to certain demands and/or requests made upon them by the leading men of the white people. Before going on, it is important to mention that the Native Americans are more successful at certain times than others in this battle between these two races of people. The first event discussed involves a number of the Native American tribes coming together to attend a meeting to possibly sign a document that would grant the white people ownership of the land that the Native Americans resided on and the right to reform it however they wanted the land to be. A certain number of the Native Americans were upset about this and completely disregarded this proposal by the white people. However, the Native Americans ended up losing in this situation due to the fact a man named White Hair McLaughlin fibbed to another man named Crook when he told him that Sitting Bull and all possible Native Americans involved in this situation were aware of the current meeting being held to discuss the document (mentioned above). This caused all of the main Native American leaders to go ahead and sign the document which granted the white people access to and ownership of the land that previously belonged to the Native Americans, which Sitting Bull was furious over afterwards. This event addresses a specific aspect of the "insider" vs. "outsider" concept, being that certain non-Native Americans (mainly referring to whites) throughout history generally unable to see the error in their ways at certain times and not be concerned for the well-being and lives of other races of people, other than their own, and the Native Americans have shown that they are the complete opposite of these ways throughout history. This situation also goes to show readers the deceiving, influential, and tyrannical power that white people have been typically portrayed as having throughout history to affect other races of people (including their own) which allowed them to feel like a superior race above all other races of people in the world.
     After this, (which takes place close to a full year after the event above) a Native American named Kicking Bear shares information with Sitting Bull about how him and his brother-in-law, whose name is Short Bull, had just got back from travelling across a certain set of mountains in to find out the whereabouts of the Messiah. He explains to Sitting Bull that this figure taught him, and the rest of the Native Americans who accompanied him on their journey, how to properly perform the Ghost Dance. During his story, Kicking Bear describes the Messiah as basically a Native American representation of Jesus Christ who have a certain number of markings on his body that might have come from being crucified. This statement reinforces the idea that during the times of interaction between the Native Americans and the white people that the Native Americans borrowed some cultural ideas from the white people while still putting some of their own original concepts into these ideas as well. Kicking Bear also says that the Messiah told all of them that in performing the Ghost Dance, the grass would be at a decent length in the following spring and that the new supply of soil would close of the white men from the rest of life and provide a varied abundance of living creatures and landmarks for the Native Americans to live around. It is also mentioned that the Messiah instructed the Native Americans to not be violent towards their enemies and only to move their bodies along to the song lyrics that they were performing at the same time. After the Native Americans had gone underway with this for a certain amount of time, the white people began to see this as a threat to their plans and decided to take action to stop it. In addition, the white people eventually came up with the idea that Sitting Bull was the ring leader behind the movement and the corruption in the Native American society, at this point, and they in turn made plans for his arrest. The whites tried to come up with a decent plan to get Sitting Bull, with using Buffalo Bill Cody to try and lead Sitting Bull into their trap, who in turn actually agreed to their horrible plans. This personally surprises me and at the same time doesn't surprise me, because Buffalo Bill Cody was a white man who could obviously relate in certain respects more to people of his own race, yet he still supported the positive portrayal and treatment of Native Americans during his life. However, this idea to use Cody was dismissed and officials eventually decided to surround Sitting Bull at his personal residence and take him with them. This ultimately led to a shoot-out between a Native American out to save Sitting Bull and a white official who had come to collect Sitting Bull, which led Sitting Bull to be accidentally killed by a bullet that struck him in his head. In conclusion, this event led to more fighting and rebelling between the Native Americans and the whites that lasted for a certain amount of time.
 

Reading Journal #10

     Chapter 5 in Beverly Diamond's book entitled Native American Music in Eastern North America goes into great detail on a variety of topics that focus on powwow music, which are addressed through historical perspectives and current events. One important topic discussed in the chapter revolves around the primary source of the contemporary powwow. The book mentions that most people trace the beginnings of the powwow back to the male soldier groups that resided in the lower Plains regions. It eventually was distributed to other Native American tribes like the Sioux in the west and the Ojibwe and Cree that lived in the upper regions of the country. Eventually, the performing of powwows became illegal by non-Native American laws passed by this specific group of people that lasted during the 1800s and well into the 1900s, causing the Native Americans to practice their powwow rituals secretly which did not help in the long run with preserving all of their original concepts of what happened in a powwow. This ban of Native American powwow events and the loss of a number of traditional practices in them was an important topic that we covered in a class discussion. This conflict between the non-Native Americans and the Native Americans reflects a certain aspect of the "insider" vs. "outsider" concept, being that outsiders can be oblivious to the true beauty and appeal of other cultures' practices and dismiss them as unacceptable and disgraceful for no good reason.  After this, it is mentioned that future generations of powwow performers brought back their powwow events from their dismissal and basically fused old traditional elements of the powwow with new practices that would vary from tribe to tribe and/or from person to person, depending on how they wanted to create their own forms of powwow performances, which has carried on to the present day.
     Another important topic talked about in the chapter highlights the basic elements of typical northern and southern powwows of the present day. One notable aspect of the powwows that is mentioned in minimal detail is policies regarding appropriate behavior during the ceremonies. The book says that, "Alcohol and drugs are not permitted in the vicinity of a powwow, and drummers are encouraged to abstain from these substances" (Diamond 124). Another notable part of the powwows is the variation of colors and designs on wardrobe. The way a regalia physically appears depends on certain things, mainly the specific ceremonial dance that it is used in and whether it is being worn by a male or a female. Some examples of these include that female Traditional Dancers might usually, "wear buckskin or cloth dresses, often with traditionally embroidered collars and hems, or ribbon adornment" (Diamond 125). In contrast to this, male Traditional Dancers might usually, "wear the long belted shirt of southern Straight Dancers, but more often their regalia has a large eagle feather bustle made of natural feathers, attached to their waist at the back, ankle bells, a porcupine hair roach, and apron" (Diamond 125). The polite behavior policies and the wide array of ceremonial wardrobe to be found in powwows were important topics covered in one of our previous classes. One other important topic discussed in the chapter covers how Native American powwow music has been recorded overtime. The book mentions that original promotional recorded sound clips of powwow were put on cassettes that included visual pictures of the actual performers that were heard on these devices, sometimes seen with relatives in these visuals. After this, starting in the later years of the 1980s, the compact disc became the more preferred way for the Native Americans to want to promote their music to a greater audience than before. One other detail mentioned that falls into this topic says that in recent years, certain music businesses such as Arbor Records have started to take into consideration the recording methods and/or processes of the general kinds of mainstream music by, "making overdubs of lead singers, for instance, recording the drum separately so that the elements can be balanced and manipulated in the postproduction process" (Diamond 134). This last statement basically reinforces the idea that Native Americans have borrowed from non-Native American practices in the music industry. These topics definitely show the significance of Native American powwows in certain ways.
     Chapter 8 in Tara Browner's book entitled Music of the First Nations explains the basic differences between "Northern" and "Southern" forms of music and/or song. One of the main differences mentioned in the book is present in the actual forms of songs. A major aspect of the construction of the songs that is different is evident by the specific locations of drum accents. In Northern compositions, honor beats are located as part of the context of the second phrase, whereas in Southern compositions, hard beats (which is another way to say "honor beats") are specifically located at the latter tip of the second phrase. Another one of the main differences noted in the book can be found based on the sound performances of each region of music. The book says that Southern performers tend to sing with very deep vocals, whereas Northern performers tend to sing with more elevated vocals. In addition, there are other general qualities of certain regional songs not usually  found in songs of the other region, for example, women performing men's lyrics and the ornamentation of certain tunes is more common in the Midplains and/or Intermountain compositions of the North than music pieces of the South. One other main difference present between these two kinds of Native American music is obviously the general regions of America in where they are found. A fair way to explain this contrasting concept is that Southern styles of music are more likely to be found within Oklahoma and other states near it, whereas Northern styles of music are more commonly found within and/or around the Great Lakes that are close to Michigan. The major differences between Northern and Southern styles of powwow music, as mentioned above, were thoroughly discussed in class. These differences are significant in the Native American music industry in a number of ways.

       

Reading Journal #9

     The Navajo Blessingway and Apache Sunrise ceremonies are similar and distinct from each other in a number of significant ways. One commonality between these two Native American cultural events is in regards to the sole purposes in carrying them out every year. This involves the fact that these forms of ceremonies are performed with positive intentions and outcomes in mind by the people that perform them. Some similar purposes include the banishment of all things that are menacing and/or that represent all that is despicable in society, and to cure individuals that have succumbed to any form of sickness and/or corruption. One other similar purpose connects to how these events seek to actively involve young females in order to them a sense of what will be expected of them when they become grown women.  Another commonality is present focuses on common items that the Native Americans use in their respective ceremonies. One of these things involves similar kinds of wardrobe, such as headpieces, belts, and other things that incorporate specific styles, patterns and colors in them that are shared in common between these two kinds of ceremonies. Some examples of these include the color black and the use of turquoise jewelry as an essential decoration on ceremonial clothing. Another of these things involves specific musical instruments that are used in these rituals. The general instruments of choice shared among the Navajo Blessingway and Apache Sunrise rituals are drums and rattles. There are also some notable differences between these two rituals as well.
      One way in which the Navajo Blessingway ceremonies are distinct from the Apache Sunrise ceremonies is due to the fact that they consider the formation and/or structure of an area to be more important in a certain way than the other Native Americans do. This tends to involve the structure and/or formation of a certain arena where certain rituals will be held. This usually ends being formed into what is called a conical hogan, which provides for a decent amount of space for people to perform rituals that involve reciting certain things, and such. This is not even heard of in the culture of Apache Sunrise ceremonies. Another main difference between the two kinds of ceremonies is present in the ways that they address the four basic cardinal directions. In certain Navajo Blessingway ceremonies, there are poles, with at least one representing each direction, that are grabbed and placed in a certain formation to make a space for dirt and other materials to be placed on the inside of the poles. In addition, the poles each represent specific gifts that are mentioned in the text where it says that, "The east pole, the gift of Earth itself, is addressed first, the south pole, a gift from Mountain Woman representative of all mountains, is mentioned next; then the west pole from Water Woman representing water supplies; and finally the north one, called Corn Woman's pile referring to First Man's magic corn bundle" (Wyman 15). In the case of the Apache Sunrise ceremonies, there are specific rituals in which performers are instructed to penetrate into the ritual specifically from the east and then a certain performer, sometimes a clown, is instructed to sanctify every one of the four cardinal directions. The ways in which the Navajo Blessingway and Apache Sunrise ceremonies compare and contrast to each other stand out in their ways from other details about the two kinds of ceremonies in certain ways.

Reading Journal #8

         Chapter 3 in Tara Browner's book entitled Music of the First Nations discusses two important topics that talk about the significance of myths in certain ways. These two topics discuss how myths stand out from other Native American texts, and how myths relate to other key elements of the Native American culture. In comparison to other forms of storytelling and/or writing, myths are different in their own specific ways. One way in which myths stand out from other forms of storytelling and/or writing is evident by their main purpose, which is to inform the individuals that are familiar with them what their own personal identities are. Besides this, a myth intends to explain how certain individuals have been able to gain control over certain territories by specific changes and starting points in their lives. This goes along with the appropriate manners in which they should reside in their respective lands by themselves and with other individuals as well. These details remind me of the discussions from previous readings and in class that mentioned the idea that the internal message behind a song could explain how a certain individual might have become the way in which he or she is at the present time. This is something very personal, as also mentioned before, which highlights the concept of "insider" vs. "outsider," since an "insider" to the actual meaning of a song would be more likely able to connect with it spiritually and/or feel it in a way that an "outsider," whether it be a non-Native American or another Native American, would not be able to relate to it in such a close way as the "insider" would be able to, especially since the song lyrics tend to be based off of an actual or fantasy-like event only experienced by the "insider." Another way in which myths stand out from other forms of storytelling and/or writing is in the specific locations as to where people reside in their plots. These myths usually have people reside, "'between a world in the process of being transformed and prepared for the coming of human beings and a world rendered meaningful and spiritually potent inhabited by human beings. It is a distinction between mythic beings endowed with significance and potency and humans seeking that endowment" (Frey and Hymes 1998: 587, Sercombe and Browner 38).
         In terms of their relationships with other key elements of the Native American culture, there are important things to mention. One important thing that myths can connect to in certain ways are soul ability lyrical pieces. The book mentions that despite the fact that it may not be completely clear in every version of every single myth story, certain performances that are executed in certain myths are usually carried up by an individual being in the text trying to summon his or her soul ability by engaging in his or her respective musical piece that relates to it. It mentions further that in certain cases, the effects are funny, specifically when an individual's ability ends up being inferior to achieve the sought outcome, or in a case where it happens to be obvious to other existing individuals that the specific person only possesses the general ability to conjure up his or her ability.  Another important thing that myths can relate to are vocally performed ceremonial phrases and statements. The text mentions that, "Another kind of power comes from 'family wisdom' possessed and controlled by high-ranking families in precontact Coast Salish communities (and still operating in some forms). Among the kinds of esoteric knowledge they controlled were ritual words or enchantments used to control animals, weather spirits, and humans (Miller 1999b: 91). Spoken or sung 'formulas' to change the weather appear to be a special category of esoteric language among Puget Sound-area people" (Sercombe and Browner 43-44).
        Before concluding, it is important to discuss two Native American stories that I picked out from the Internet and how they are important and significant in their own ways. In one of the stories I chose, entitled "The Quillwork Girl and her Seven Brothers," the two main characters that stand out from the rest are the girl who is talented in the field of quillwork and the youngest boy in a group of seven brothers that the girl ends up living with in the myth. The quillwork girl is a very skilled young lady with a kind heart, who is also a hard worker and generous to people around her. She shows these qualities in the story by creating seven different sets of clothing, one for each of the seven brothers, all from bright buckskin. After doing this, she travels a certain ways to where the seven brothers live and surprises all of them with the wardrobe that she has to offer to offer to them, which makes them very grateful to the girl and she becomes a household member in their tipi with them all. The youngest brother in a group of seven is a very courageous, protective, and fearless to a certain degree. He shows these qualities in the story by refusing to allow a gigantic group of buffalo take the girl away from him and his brothers, and he refuses to let his guard down, even when the size of the individual buffalos that greet him, one at the time, to claim the girl from him continuously increase in size and a promise of death is threatened and/or guaranteed upon him by the leader of the buffalo when he comes around with the rest of his group.
      The main intent of this story is to explain how the well-known constellation called the Big Dipper happened to appear in the sky, be created, and still exist to this very day. The story says that the quillwork girl, together with the seven brothers, transformed into the Big Dipper by the youngest brother's magic after they became stranded on a cloud high in the sky after holding onto a tree (which the youngest brother continuously made grow taller and taller with a set of magic arrows that he had at the time) as part of an attempt to escape the angry buffalo that made a desperate attempt to destroy all of them by smashing into the base of the tree to bring it down after he was refused the right to take the girl from the seven brothers. Some other messages behind this myth that can possibly be observed include always being well-prepared and alert in case of emergencies, which is the case with the youngest brothers being able to efficiently provide a quick escape for himself and the others when the buffalo tried to kill them all. In addition, the myth can possibly be telling people that it is important to look on the bright side especially in a seemingly hopeless situation, which is the case when the rest of the brothers ask their youngest sibling how their future will be once they become stranded up in the clouds for eternity, to which he says for them not to worry and provides the solution of turning all of them into stars. This myth can compare to the one about Dirty Face in the sense that the myth concludes with the transformation of the main character(s) into some other form and/or being as the result of certain events that occur before this happens. Another way that this myth can compare to the myth about Dirty Face is that both of them express the idea that hard work and/or labor can produce some significant results in the context of a myth, sometimes for the better and sometimes for the worse.
      In the other myth that I chose, entitled "Tata and Nena," the main characters that make significant appearances in the myth are Tata, Nena, and Tlaloc. Tata and Nena are together a religious pair who are portrayed as being forgetful, and pitiful. The two of them portray these qualities in the myth when they temporarily suffer a case of memory loss by forgetting to only consume two ear pieces of corn under Tlaloc's orders when they decide to retrieve a fish from the water and devour it and then afterwards recalling that they weren't supposed to do that. The two of them are pitiful in the sense that they are punished by Tlaloc who transforms them into dogs after accidentally going against his regulations, and in the general sense that two holy-spirited people like Tata and Nena don't really deserve a fate like this, especially since it wasn't there intention to screw their good image up in Tlaloc's perspective of them both. Tlaloc, who is a god, is depicted as being generous and cruel at certain parts of them myth. In the myth, he is generous by giving Tata and Nena a special opportunity to be wary of the flood that he plans to have the whole world wiped out with and giving them food and a mode of transportation to carry them both off to a certain location. However, he is also depicted as being cruel when he ends up transforming two good-spirited people, being Tata and Nena, into dogs when they accidentally let the fact that they both couldn't eat anything else but the food that was supplied to them by Tlaloc himself and really didn't deserve this future. One of the main intents of this story can possibly be that people should cherish the natural resources that are given to them and the good opportunities that they could obtain in their lives, while trying not to let themselves get carried away with abusing the rights that they have to the valuable sources and opportunities that might be given to them in their lifetimes. Another possible main intent of this story is to explain the fact that even the most good-spirited people in the world are subject to the consequences of certain actions that are considered to be unacceptable to others around them. This myth can compare to the myth about Dirty Face in the sense that the main characters are turned into animals as a punishment and as a result of a certain action(s) that they performed in the myth. These two myths definitely reflect the Native American culture in their own specific ways.

Reading Journal #7

        Chapter 1 in the book Music of the First Nations by Tara Browner, with Paula Conlon leading the discussion in the chapter, allows readers to learn that the Iglulik Inuit culture(s) do not fair too much differently from other Native American cultures. However, there a few significant practices in their cultures that make them stand out from the rest as being unique in their own special ways. These practices are usually present in the ways in which these Native Americans go about making their own music, which includes everything from the creation of song lyrics and drums to live musical rituals and/or performances by the Native Americans. One of the main similarities between the Iglulik Inuit people and other fellow Native Americans is present in the live musical gatherings and events that they hold. In comparison to other Native American cultures, the Iglulik Inuit people see the importance of many individual elements of music working together to add to the brilliance of a live musical performance, including the melody, lyrics, and the forms of dancing to the music. Besides this, the Iglulik Inuit also use live musical performances as ways of communicating with one another, sometimes making funny statements toward each other as part of traditional gatherings. Despite this, the Iglulik Inuit also consider the idea of physical violence (sometimes in a form of hand-to-hand combat) as a part of musical competitions, which is something never mentioned about in other Native American cultures that the class has talked about so far.
       Another one of the main similarities is present in how the Iglulik Inuit people make drums. The main commonalities include that the top cover of a drum is made from animal skin. In addition, it is common that this cover, "is bound tightly to the frame with sinew or string" (Conlon & Browner 10). However, there is a major difference in the making of the mallet that is used to play this drum, being that is made from the outer layer of a seal. This is no too common among several Native American tribes, because the Iglulik Inuit people live up more towards the northern tip of the planet in the eastern Arctic regions of the Earth above the United States of America. One other main similarity in the Iglulik Inuit culture that is reflective of other Native American cultures involves the specific relationship that individuals might have with their own music. It is mentioned that like other Native American cultures, "the character of Iglulik Inuit is personal" (Conlon & Browner 9). However, despite this fact, the Iglulik Inuit people tend to leave their music open to all eyes and ears wanting to take a look at and analyze it, and hear for themselves. The book mentions an example of this when is states, "For instance, it is not necessary to ask permission before singing someone else's song" (Nattiez 1988: 45, Conlon & Browner 9). This is something that was never discussed about in discussions on other Native American culture that took place in class. The main similarities, and some difference, between the Iglulik Inuit and other Native Americans are significant in their own ways.
       On another note, it is important to discuss how the Native American drumming styles and compositions of the Rain, Ghost, and Sun dances in certain Native American cultures compare with other general forms of Native American drumming present in other Native American music compositions as well as with African American drumming patterns and compositions as well. Some similarities that can be found revolve around how drums and other musical instruments are incorporated into and/or used in a composition. These common features include drums being played in constant, repetitive beats that carry on throughout an entire composition, and that different sections in a song are always indicated by specific changes in instrumental patterns that occur at specific points. Besides this, another general instrument of choice shared among these cultures is some variation of a metallic instrument that makes some sort of jingling noise, which might be a bell in some cases. Other similarities are present in the lyrical context of Native American and African American musical compositions. This involves how singers usually perform the lyrics in a kind of chanting tone of voice and use different pitches in their vocal ranges at specific sections in their songs. In addition, specifically among the Sun, Ghost, and Rain dances, as well as other Native American compositions, is the usage of certain vocables, such as "hey," "ya," and "ho." One other main similarity between these forms of cultural music is that they are all used at certain times for specific cultural events and/or celebrations that are extremely significant to the respective culture that a certain kind of music belongs to. In connecting with this idea, a common thing between these different kinds of music is that they each can unify the people that make them up in one way or another. The commonalities between these different cultures' music are definitely significant in there own ways.

Reading Journal #6

       Antonin Dvorak and Amy Beach present two distinguishable viewpoints on the concept of "true" American music being found in African-American spirituals and Native American tunes. In Dvorak's perspective, he believes that the concept mentioned above is credible and should be taken into consideration by the general population of people in America. (Note: Even though Dvorak initially connects these ideas to the black peoples' music at first, he later comes to the statement that black peoples' and Native Americans' music were very similar to one another, so when reading these ideas, it can possibly be interpreted as Dvorak talking about both.) He tries to strengthen and defend his argument by stating that these cultures' music are pitiful, warm, ardent, sad, serious, daring, delightful, cheerful, and/or anything else. Dvorak also says with these cultures blends itself in appropriately to and for any atmosphere and/or any intention. These ideas are reminiscent of how Native American music can house a wide variety of feelings that are incorporated into the specific text of a song in certain ways, which are used wisely in regards to what specific emotions connect best with an individuals personal experiences which are represented in the lyrics the song, which was discussed in class and in previous readings. Furthermore, with the help of the statements mentioned above, Dvorak states that with these tunes performed by the black people (and Native Americans), that any American performer and/or any regular American individual involved in this business is able to comprehend these compositions and that they stir belief in these people, and stand out in their thoughts because of their connections to certain things.
       Another idea that can possibly be implied through Dvorak's writing which is also used to strengthen his opinions on the concept mentioned at the beginning focuses on how intrigued a certain number of American people are by the African-American and Native American cultures music which is an essential part of their cultures. Dvorak uses an example when explaining about how his music students are always wanting to get the full scope immediately on the types of music and information that he presents to them and find out the meanings behind all of them. This statement is reminiscent of how Americans have had a strong interest in Native American music and have wanted to uncover its hidden meanings and symbolic lyrics for a long time and how that interest still exists in Americans today, especially with "throat-singing" and such, as was mentioned in previous readings and in class. Through these statements and other things in the text, it reflects upon how these kinds of music trigger what Dvorak calls the qualities of Americans to any non-native spectator, being "patriotism" and "enthusiasm" in the American people. By this statement, Dvorak is basically implying that the African-American and Native American music is "true" American music, because they allow Americans to develop their own individual senses of "push," which allows them to show off good emotions that they want others to notice.
       Before going on to mentioning Amy Beach's points of view on the concept mentioned at the beginning, it is important to mention how Dvorak might have encountered disagreement towards his opinions. One way in which this could have happened could involve certain American people around him stating that he was a foreigner and that in being one, he would really have no significant and/or thorough insight into what American music actually is, especially in terms of how modern Americans might have viewed there music during his time. Another way in which this could have happened might have involved people saying that it would be impossible for African-American music and Native American music to fully represent "true" American music since other groups of people in America, such as white people, approach music in their own unique ways and compose music in certain methods that people in America of their own race would tend to prefer to listen to the majority of the time over the other cultures' music. One other way in which this might have happened could have involved people commenting back on Dvorak's thoughts, saying that these cultures' music did not fully represent "true" American music due to the fact these cultures originally came from other regions of the world such as Africa and the Artic regions and that they had also originated their cultural practices towards certain things, including music, before they "supposedly" decided to spread their teachings to other lands that they eventually came to inhabit. It is definitely possible that Dvorak might have faced some remarks like these back in his time and especially with trying to present his ideas to certain people the general population of America. Amy Beach's also offers some significant points of view on the concept mentioned in the beginning.
      Amy Beach's viewpoints towards the concept presented above and/or Dvorak's statements are kind of mixed. Beach's viewpoints definitely contrast with Dvorak's in certain ways. (Note: Even though Beach might be specifically referring to only one culture in the text with some of these ideas, it can possibly be interpreted that she is talking about both.) This is evident based on a fact that talks specifically about native-born African Americans and Native Americans living as a member of their respective cultures from the earliest stages of existence who have listened to their respective culture's music since they were very young. She says that it only these specific people who can generally form any kind of "connection" to their respective culture's music and that a good portion of the American population goes about it's daily lives Another statement that Beach makes states that with certain cultures and their music, these forms of music do not generally create a complete model of this nation. She talks about this topic further by stating that the general amount of black people in America is too diminutive for its music to be called "American," since it describes only portrays a single group of people in the whole of this country, and that these people and their music do not initially come from America. Despite some of these kind of harshly critical comments that Beach makes, she does mention a few positive feelings towards the other cultures' music. One statement she makes is that other cultures' music still hold a great sense of elegance in their own ways and that their foundations are still good as well. Another statement that she makes is that the other cultures' music could perhaps still affect musicians in certain methods that could intrigue them and instruct them in good ways. Dvorak and Beach both make interesting points by their opinions on the concept mentioned at the beginning.
      When it comes to both authors' viewpoints, I find it possible to agree and/or disagree with both of them. This is true due to a number of the statements made by both of them in the reading. I agree with the statement presented with Beach that traditional African-American and Native American music may only have a significant impact on the respective people in these cultures who grew up listening to it, because a certain majority of Americans tend to listen to the classic English language pop, rock, R&B, etc., kinds of music that emerged within their own country throughout the 20th century and into the 21st century that fall into their own kind of popular culture by American music artists and/or English speaking artists. This definitely relates to my personal feelings, because I would rather listen to music that I can quickly understand and in which I not have to decipher the lyrics sung in it, and listen to a song sung by any well-known and/or popular artist known solely in the English language and/or American music business, such as Michael Jackson, Madonna, Prince, and/or Christina Aguilera among others in this industry. However, I do disagree with Beach in the sense that I do feel as though artists from African-American, Native American, and other ethnic backgrounds can still make a strong impact on Americans and bring out the best reactions from them with music that still carries certain root elements from their own cultures but put a bit of an American formula into it. A case that I present to explain my opinion involves a song that I have song by a an Asian recording artist named Hikaru Utada which is called "Sanctuary," which was used as a song on the video game entitled Kingdom Hearts 2, which was a popular game in American culture as part of a video game series with that same name. The song is song mostly in the English language, but has some fewer lyrics in the original Asian language that it was initially sung in. The song is also reworked from the original Asian language version of the song, called "Passion," which is sung by the same music artist, but was structured a little differently. The English-translated version of this song made an impact on people who were big into this video game and it caught on to a number of American people who found it to be a good song. It has definitely made an impact on the American market, because a couple of times when I went on iTunes in the past to see if the song was available to purchase, one copy of this song was available but it apparently wasn't working properly and a good number of people complained about it and wanted the people running iTunes to fix it as soon as possible so that it could be listenable. In conclusion, both Dvorak and Beach present some reasonable statements in their respective readings.
  

Reading Journal #5

       Jeff Todd Titon covers a number of new methods in approaching Native Americans and inquiring about their music in the text. The first important new method that Titon talks about at the beginning of the chapter is fieldwork. He mentions that fieldwork is an important practice because it is, "no longer viewed principally as observing and collecting (although it surely involves that) but as experiencing and understanding music" (see Titon 1992[1984]:xvi, Titon 87). This concept is reminescent of how McAllester viewed Native American culture and music in his text entitled "An Apache Fiddle." In the text, McAllester is described as actually observing closely as to how an Apache Fiddle was made with a grand sense of interest and fascination while doing so  There are two specific practices mentioned which stand out from the others in a certain way, which are phenomenology and hermeneutics. These practices remain important because they are associated with, "Theories of knowledge based on understanding rather than explanation" (Titon 90). This idea reminds me of how, as discussed in previous readings and in class, that when it comes to Native American music, it is more essential for an outsider to apprehend how a song is actually meant to be perceived, especially since the core of its meaning varies from person to person, and to gain a sense of personal experience of the message in a song by letting oneself mentally experience the song in a surreal fashion. Phenomenology is individually significant because it highlights the instantaneous, solid, receptive planet of people who are animated, and it tries to cement information in a world of events viewed by people who are alive. Hermeneutics on the other hand had initially been regarded as a means of looking at the Bible, however it transformed into a strategy for trying to understand written works as a whole.
     Other significant practices mentioned are included as part of a general description from the narrator's point of view in regards to the term "ethnomusicology," as what he describes as a "paradigm." Titon describes ethnomusicology as important based on the details that it has an, "emphasis on fieldwork and cultural immersion, rather than survey work; in addition, ethnomusicologists tend to distrust broad comparative generalizations and produce, instead, monographs based on detailed studies of particular music-cultures" (Titon 91). I think that this goes to show readers that ethnomusicologists really take their work seriously, since they try to dig deep and try to take it further into retrieving the accurate details of Native Americans and their music, as well as other cultures' music, with details that go against popular beliefs and that try to include more descriptive and informative details on these things. Jeff Todd Titon brings up another important concept in the chapter in regards to the word "text" and how it is defined. One important idea presented by him says that, "any meaningful action can be considered, or read, as a text; thus, a musical performance, for example, can be understood as the equivalent of a text" (1981b, Titon 90). Another key concept in regards to the word "texts" involves the basic definition given by Titon himself which is, "subjects of interpretation" (Titon 92). These ideas reminds me of how any concept in Native American culture can be subject to multiple and varying views of interpretation from both insiders and outsiders, which was mentioned in class. In addition, the usage of music in the example above and the idea of how any significant thing can represent a text reminds me how in Native American culture, just one important word that holds a symbolic meaning can represent an entire key concept of something, which was discussed in class and in previous readings.
     Bruno Martell addresses the insider/outsider concept in his text through the details of his personal encounters with Native Americans during his travels. One important detail in regards to this concept mentioned in the reading explains that an outsider must have forbearance towards their interviewees and not be pushy with them in order to get the information they seek from the start out of them. This idea is present when a Native American spotted for an interview by the narrator who he approaches in a town at his residence tells him to, "'Come back and see me next Tuesday, and bring your machine,'" (Martell 134) when the narrator initially does not have enough cash to give to the man to enable him to learn about his music after he lets his main objectives be known to the man. Another important detail mentions how the personal relationship between an insider and an outsider can be very awkward and uncomfortable for one or the other, or both, at first but this relationship can eventually end up becoming more enjoyable. This idea is seen in the text when at first the narrator feels out of place in the town that he enters and is extremely nervous about asking who is and where to find a Native American who can explain to him important information in regards to Native American culture and/or music. He is also very wary when approaching the Native American man at his residence, but is a completely changed man some time later in his relationship with the man, named Joe, when the narrator says that, "I joined his family on picnics, moved from outsider to observer to something approaching participant-observer" (Martell 135). These ideas remind me of how all outsiders trying to gain insight into Native American music and culture when they approach these respective people should come off to them as pleasant, confident, respectable, and willing to open their minds up to a wide array of possibilities ,while not seeming to be presumptuous, awkward, pushy, or out for only their own benefits in any way whatsoever so that way they can get the best out of Native American culture and music. It definitely a lesson to be learned that any outsider trying to get inside Native American culture and music should make their interviews and such on these topics as less awkward as possible. The man in this text had a bit of an awkward encounter with the Native American, and this kind of interaction was also present in Curtis' text, in the story about an individual trying to translate/interpret the Hopi language in song down on paper and was given a questioning look by the chief of this group of people when the narrator was still writing things down on the paper long after he had finished singing, since this was no easy task for the narrator. In conclusion, Titon and Martell both address important concepts that require a decent amount of explanation for readers to fully understand.

        

Reading Journal #4

          There a number of important similarities and differences between the approaches, methods, and attitudes that Curtis, Densmore, McAllester, and the pair of Lafferty and Keillor towards Native Americans, their cultures, and their music. One of the main similarities between the majority of these authors involves the inclusion of the explanation and/or translation of the physical structure of Native American songs. All of these writers were able to successfully incorporate in their own eyes how at least one Native American song might have been composed by making an English language interpretation of the song that, in the form of musical notes arranged in specific patterns on staffs, tried to be an accurate representation of the song in another form. The majority of these writers also managed to include physical translations of the Native American language present in their songs into actual words in the English language and include depict the translations by two columns across from each other; one with words in the English translated form and one with words in the original Native American language from where they came from. One example of a song like this that is present in a text is, "A Buffalo Said to Me," in Densmore's text.  This common approach in the writing of their texts shows that each of them saw something significant in the way that Native Americans handled their music that stood out in certain ways from other cultures' music and that they wanted to preserve their compositions in solid concrete form, each for their own distinct purposes, so that they could be studied by future generations of musicologists and/or music fanatics.
         Another main similarity between the majority of these authors involves discussions about the significance and important of the symbolism, great purpose, and personal meaning behind lyrics in regards to the Native American songs. These writers altogether addressed a number of important ideas regarding the symbolism and personal meaning in Native American song lyrics in their own separate discussions in their own respective texts. One important fact that is mentioned in Curtis' text is that an individual word in a song could represent a whole entire concept. Another important fact that is present in Densmore's text is that the meanings behind a song can be based off of dreams and/or surreal events that an individual experienced at a specific point in his or her life and that this person will try to incorporate a number of elements from these occurrences into the context of his or her song. One other important idea which is present in Browner's text that can be learned by carefully looking at the text and generalizing on the ideas that it presents is that through the process of creating a meaningful song with meaningful lyrics that, "Through this practice an individual establishes one's own identity and an awareness of one's surrounding world and culture" (Browner 25). This common approach in the writing of their texts shows that the majority of them regarded this topic of discussion as one of the major things for any individual to take into consideration when studying Native American music. Besides this, it makes sense for the majority of these writers to mention things along these lines because by doing so, it would allow outsiders to develop a more accurate representation of how a Native American song is created and some of the deep processes involved in doing so. Besides the common features between the authors in their respective pieces of writing, there are certain differences to be found as well.
         The main differences between these authors lies in the specific processes in which they went about gathering information on Native American music and how things went about for them in doing so. One part of this process that shows some differences is how each of them managed to record a performance of a song sung by a Native American that a number of them happened to come across when they were originally doing research on this topic. The other part of this process is how they spoke to the Native American that was interviewed and interacted with that Native American with certain feelings and behaviors. Looking at both of these things, it is important to notice that there are a number of different methods used throughout these texts. In Curtis' text, in one story, it is mentioned that the narrator (might be referencing Curtis or not) records a song sung by the chief of the Hopi Native Americans, named Lololomai, by putting it down on regular writing paper. This process ends up being a bit of a drag and a challenge for the narrator who tries to keep up with what Lololomai is singing. By the narrator taking all the time necessary to write the song as best as possible, it shows that the narrator didn't want to disappoint the Native Americans with a lousy interpretation of the song and that the narrator wanted to impress Lololomai and that the narrator has a lot of respect for the Lololomai and his people. This definitely makes sense, because the narrator mentions that it shouldn't have to come down to the point where Native American songs will be lost and never be heard of by future generations, and the narrator also allows Lololomai inspect the written interpretation of the song on the paper before deciding to go with it and Lololomai says that it was very well done.
        One other example is located in the text of "An Apache Fiddle," in which the narrator (being the author, who is David P. McAllester) apparently is able to translate a song played by a Native American named Wooster Kaytogy. Before the author can translate the song, he first observes ,just by naturally observing with his own two eyes, how Kaytogy creates an Apache fiddle by using varioud items. He observed that the fiddle string was made with horse hair and how the rest of the materials, including cow sinew and a mescal stalk (etc.) were used to make the entire instrument itself. It can possibly be said that the author was very patient during this process and interested in it, since he took a careful amount of time to record the entire process and seems to have enjoyed learning how it was done, since he followed Kaytogy wherever he went during this time. In addition, the process of recording the performance of Kaytogy playing a song with the Apache fiddle was done with more advanced technology than mentioned in the previous example, since McAllester was able to record the song with four player devices.
        The academic approaches to recording the two songs mentioned in discussion of the differences between the authors of the texts required for reading are significantly different in certain respects. One of the obvious ones is the technological aspect of recording the songs; this involves how McAllester was more conveniently able to record with a player a song without having to ask the Native American performer to repeat and didn't have to worry about writing fast to keep up with the performer, since this took place in the 1950s when this kind of device was around. The opposite can be said for the narrator in the first example who recorded a Native American song during a time when newer technology was not around yet. Another one that can connect to the one just mentioned is the social interaction between the specific Native American being recorded and/or interviewed and the person doing the recording and/or interviewing. In the case of the narrator in Curtis' text, it probably was a little awkward for this person to record Lololomai, since he gave this person a look of confusion when a took awhile for this person to finish recording down the song. The general request and/or process seeking out and asking a Native American to perform a song so it could be recorded for translation and such might have been a little uncomfortable for this person, since the event took place in a time when people of the narrator's race and the Native Americans did not associate themselves with each other that often. It was definitely a different case for McAllester, because during the 1950s, it can possibly be said that English people had had more experience with recording Native American songs for translation and such, and that they had by then possibly been able to establish more friendly relations with certain groups of Native Americans. This can possibly explain how McAllester seemed to be very patient and no feel too out of place when he experienced seeing an Apache fiddle be made and performed by a Native American. The technological advance would also possibly play a role in McAllester not feeling as awkward as the other person when recording the song performed by Kaytogy on the Apache fiddle. In conclusion, all of these authors and their respective texts present an important range of information regarding the Native Americans, their music, and other things, as well.


    
          

Reading Journal #3

           The required sections for reading in The Indians' Book and Teton Sioux Music share a common topic of discussion between themselves. This topic focuses on how Native American music stands out from other cultures' music in its own distinctive ways. A way that Native American music stands out from other kinds of music is evident by its composition and the steps in making it. This involves the fact that Native American music consists of three main key features in its composition which are rhythm, melody, and harmony. Curtis' text mentions that each individual part plays a key role in bringing music together as a whole by incorporating a wide variety of noises along with a well-structured pattern of sound to and keeping them at a decent pace that appropriately fits a certain song to make their music sound professional. It is even mentioned that other forms of music, unlike Native American music, tend to not include harmony a great deal of the time. This topic also involves the organization of musical notes in a Native American music composition. Densmore's text explains how certain music notes are placed in a certain order to allow individual notes to serve as crucial structure points in a song and that the specific number of notes per measure, section, etc., is crucial to allow a the sounds in a song to cooperate with each other and keep the composition as a whole running smoothly and seen in tune with each other.
          I would definitely expect these work practices from Native American music, because Native Americans always carefully consider how they want to arrange their music compositions before finalizing their work. I have already learned that from previous readings for this class and/or in the class itself that Native Americans will always take their music seriously and make sure that every detail about it is actually how they want it to be. The ways in which Native Americans approach their music in contrast to how other cultures do is an interesting case of "insider" vs. "outsider." This is so, because based on these facts about Native American music, it is clear that the Native Americans have their own self-taught special processes and methods that were created to enable them to come to final decisions on their music that have lead to exciting results for their people. In addition, this can generally confirm the fact of how other cultures are unaware of these practices which can be a big reason as to why their music may not be as significant as others.
        Another way that Native American music stands out from other cultures' music is evident by symbolism and meaning behind the lyrics/words in songs. Curtis' text mentions the fact that in the general forms of written work by Native Americans, especially music, that an individual word can represent one full statement in Native American, whereas in English music it would take an entire sentence to get a statement across to listeners. Besides this, it is mentioned that the certain songs by Native Americans hold secretly hidden meanings behind them that only the person who created the song knows about. Densmore's implies that a certain number of the meanings behind Native Americans songs come from unreal experiences that they had, which sometimes happens in a person's dreams. This idea right here shows another case of "insider" vs. "outsider," since only the creator behind a song can personally connect with its meaning and understand the message within it since that person was the only one to experience it outside of the song in his or her lifetime. Due to this, the person can more so feel the emotions in the song than anybody else and be a part of the song unlike anybody else. In relation to this music, it can definitely be stated as a general fact that Native Americans tend to connect themselves with the Earth and as many of the living organisms and land settings on it as they can through certain song lyrics that they come up with. This fact definitely makes them stand out among other cultures to a certain degree. The ways in which Native Americans handle their music will always remain a significant part of their culture for a long time.
      

Reading Journal #2

            Chapters 2 and 3 in the book Native American Music in Eastern North America by Beverly Diamond together cover a number of important concepts that explain about Native American people and their music. The former generally explains how a number of significant differences even exist between individual Native American tribes, especially with the ways in which they approach their music. The latter generally explains how Native Americans have been able to successfully integrate non-American practices and ideas into their cultures while still holding on to their original ancestral values and ways with going about doing certain things. Looking at chapter 2 first, the main differences presented in the text among Native Americans are said to be present in their music (songs), dances, and live shows. A varying factor in this case can be gender roles in these live shows. The chapter states that, "in some cases, only men play the drum, while women sing the accompanying chorus. Women drum in some communities,...," (Diamond 40) which shows the lack of similarity. The general idea of Native American men and women trying to all be actively involved in their special events I definitely believe to be true. One example of this in American popular culture that helps with my belief is the Walt Disney animated film Peter Pan. In the film, the majority of the main characters, male and female (including Tiger Lily and her father who is the chief of his tribe), celebrate and dance in a around a fire at a Native American camp site in Neverland. Another example of this in popular culture that cements by belief is in Annie Get Your Gun, a movie shown in our class, in which a female plays an active role in a ceremony in which she is inducted into a tribe.
         A second varying factor involves the specific methods in which tribal songs are sung and instruments are played. Examples of this mentioned in the chapter state that, "Songs from western Greenland, for instance, use only vocables in performance, although singers may recall words as they sing those vocables" (39). Another example states that Native Americans in the western Canadian Arctic regions of the world, "A group of seated drummers accompanies several dancers, who don't drum, unlike the solo tradition of Nunavut" (45). This fact definitely makes sense in my opinion since the book mentions how a number of Native Americans base the construction of their pieces of music off individual experiences in which they each got their own distinct perspective on life which affects the sounds they produce through the ways in which they experiment with their instruments, rhythmic  musical patterns, voices, and other things too. This can possibly resemble a case of "self" vs. "other," since only the individual composer of a certain song would have insight into its actual meaning in comparison to the other people around that individual who don't. Chapter 3 in the book also presents some important details on Native Americans as well.
         Chapter 3 in the book states a number of ways in which Native Americans have be able to represent similar non-Native American cultural ideas in their own methods, while not copying them exactly 100%. One way this has managed to happen is through religious ideology and festivities. A Christian religious practice that certain Native Americans came to accept was the recognition of Saint Anne. The chapter states that, "Many Innuat make an annual pilgrimage to the church of Sainte-Anne-de-Beaupre in Quebec City. For Mi'kmaq, Se't A'newimk (Saint Anne) is their patroness,...," (77) in the text. Through this, some of the Native Americans still managed to hold on to original concepts of religious people in their cultures but with the exception of a name that didn't originate from their culture. This is so, because the book states that, "In some communities, she (meaning Saint Anne) is  said to be 'a great helper and culture heroine who taught them moose-hair embroidery" (Howard 1962, 5; Diamond 77-78).
        Another way this has managed to happen is through certain possible ways in which they form their songs. The book states that some people have claimed that certain vocables in Native American songs have sounded similar in certain ways to at least one type of other culture's song formatting. At one point in the book, a certain section of a Native American song is compared to songs in another culture. This part of the book says that in the section of the Native American song that, "Some hear lullaby-like-features (perhaps the 'do do do' vocables), while others associate  it with children's songs such as 'London Bridge'" (83). This idea definitely makes sense to me, because when I listened to some sound clips of Native American music, the way it in which one of the songs was composed seemed to have a four chorus and three verse form to it with the chorus always being played before a verse. This form of a song is also present in regular English Christian American music, but the Native American song (and Native American songs in general) obviously has (have) its (their) own distinct sounds to it (them). In conclusion, both chapters in the book provided even more reasonable details about Native Americans, along with the first chapter.

Reading Journal #1

            Chapter 1 in the book entitled Native American Music in Eastern North America by Beverly Diamond successfully allows readers to understand the general differences between how Native Americans and other citizens of the U.S.A. look at the world and the things in it. In congruence with this, the chapter allows readers to gain a more fairly reasonable insight into how Native Americans really are. The general differences noted in the chapter revolve around how Native Americans and Christians approach certain ideas and situations in different manners. One set of these ideas involves time and place. It is mentioned in the book by a Lakota named Vine Deloria Jr. that, "Native Americans base their religions on place and largely discount time while the Christianity of Europeans focuses on time and discounts place" (Diamond 26-27). Looking at this statement, I find it hard to really agree or disagree because I have never been a heavily religious person in my life and have never engaged myself into thoroughly reading any big religious texts and such about the origins and practices of my religion. Another main thing that Native Americans and Christians approach differently is music. A woman by the name of Sadie Buck mentions that when it comes to "describing the sources of sounds that outsiders 'see something and think it's one thing, but that's not the intent'"(29). The book goes further to suggest that Christians usually favor a mix sounds working together in music over a stand alone sound that can work perfectly on its own and appeal to audiences of people in the world. This idea definitely makes sense to me, since a number of people in the Christian population and in general can be close-minded about certain things and not be willing to open up their minds to all the possibilities that exist in the world in regards to certain things.
          One other main way in which Native Americans are different from Christians involves how they are with sharing personal information in regards to their cultural practices, music, texts, and other things. When it comes to this part of the discussion, it is key to mention that Native Americans are extremely cautious when it comes handing out any of these things, especially to Christians. Looking at this fact, it definitely makes sense to me that Native Americans are like this because they don't want Christians to misrepresent them in any way, whether it be intentional or by accident, which could easily happen by misprinting any documented fact about the Native Americans. This could lead other people to make false assumptions about them, which was discussed in the class. This type of situation also highlights the idea of an "insider" vs. "outsider" issue in regards to the practices and ideas being kept within a certain peoples' culture. One last thing to mention before concluding is that the chapter basically reminds about the general connection between "facts" and "interpretation," since this book explains how Native Americans truly are, which mainly encompasses a very peaceful and kind people with their own moral values who are not as wild and crazy as they are depicted in many forms of American popular culture. It is also important to mention about how reading just this first chapter of the book can change any negative stereotypical thoughts about Native Americans and look at them in a more positive way, which can definitely be seen as one of the intentions of the Native American Music class that I am taking this semester in college. In conclusion, the first chapter in this book basically helps to paint a more accurate and detailed picture of modern Native Americans that exist in today's world.