Arts & Culture

Native People’s Dance and Music : Celebrating National Aboriginal Day June 21, 2010

June 21, 2010 | Bill V. | Comments (0)

Music and dance are among the most universal and basic ways individuals and cultures express themselves. 

I hope you will enjoy some of these First Nations performances:

Stay Red Northern Cree CD - copies of the CD you can borrow from your local branch

 

The Drum Calls Softly - copies of this children's book you can borrow from many libraries -Canadian Children's Book Centre Our Choice, 2009Translation and music by Northern Cree Have you danced the round dance yet? Of course you have-you're in my dream. You've danced in circles next to me You now know things aren't as they seem.Beloved children's author David Bouchard has teamed up with emerging writer Shelly Willier to create a heart-warming tale in his newest book, The Drum Calls Softly. Discover the beauty of the traditional Round Dance through the lush descriptive verse of Bouchard and Willier that leads you through the cycles and seasons of life, the forming of new friendships and the understanding of values.Illustrations by internationally acclaimed painter Jim Poitras colorfully grace the pages, bringing the words alive through the intricate movements of the Round Dancers.And Northern Cree teams up once again with David Bouchard, providing the translation from English to Cree and the haunting drum music on a bound-in book CD.Also available in French and in Cree, and accompanied by a CD  Nokum is my teacher - copies of this children's book you can borrow from many libaries - Anskohk Aboriginal Literature Festival Winner, Children's Book of the Year 2007Moonbeam Children's Book Awards, 2007 Bronze Medalist - Multicultural Picture Book CategoryAlberta Children's Book of the Year nominee 2007Canadian Children's Book Centre Our Choice, 2009CD included with book! Will you walk with me, Grandmother? Will you talk with me a while? I'm finding life confusing And I'm looking for some answers To questions all around me At that school and on the street. You have always been here for me Will you help me learn to see?Nokum Is My Teacheris the poetic story of a young aboriginal boy, posing questions to his grandmother, his "Nokum", about the wider world beyond the familiarity of their home and community. Through a series of questions, Nokum guides her grandson towards an understanding of his need to fit into and learn more about this large world beyond the reserve. Nokum offers her grandson a vision of a world he can enter through imagination and reading, while retaining respect for the ways of his people. By the conclusion of the book, the young grandson has learned many new ideas from his grandmother and discovered his own wisdom in dealing with the changes in his life.Nokum Is My Teacheris a delightfully packaged book and audio CD, combining the written text in English and Cree with the mesmerizing voice of author/storyteller extraordinaire David Bouchard. It is illustrated by the hauntingly beautiful artworks of Allan Sapp, Cree elder, Governor General's Award-winner, and Officer of the Order of Canada. The singing and drumming are done by Alberta's Northern Cree, who have been nominated for a Grammy Award (2007) in the 'Native American music album' category.Nokum Is My Teacheris also available in French/Cree text and audio as Nokum: Ma Voix et Mon Coeur.This is the first of a series of aboriginal books David Bouchard is developing with Red Deer Press.

Pow Wow Trail 6 Fancy Dance DVD see here for a list of this series you can borrow The World of American Indian Dance copies of the DVD you can borrow  

You may also find these books interesting:

 

Heartbeat of the people music and dance of the northern pow-wow      Pow-wow dancer's and craftworker's handbook   Native American dance ceremonies and social traditions - copies to borrow from your local branch library or use at the Toronto Reference Library

Eagle drum on the powwow trail with a young grass dancer copies of this children's book you can borrow from your local library      The song within my heart children's book . As a young Cree Indian boy hears the beat of a pow-wow for the first time, heearns from his grandmother that he has to create stories and songs to prepare for his own upcoming pow-wow

   Powwow -This anthology examines the origins, meanings, and enduring power of the powwow. Held on and off reservations, in rural and urban settings, powwows are an important vehicle for Native peoples to gather regularly. Although sometimes a paradoxical combination of both tribal and intertribal identities, they are a medium by which many groups maintain important practices. Powwowbegins with an exploration of the history and significance of powwows, ranging from the Hochunk dances of the early twentieth century to present-day Southern Cheyenne gatherings to the contemporary powwow circuit of the northern plains. Contributors discuss the powwow’s performative and cultural dimensions, including emcees, song and dance, the expression of traditional values, and the Powwow Princess. The final section examines how powwow practices have been appropriated and transformed by Natives and non-Natives during the past few decades. Of special note is the use of powwows by Native communities in the eastern United States, by Germans, by gay and lesbian Natives, and by New Agers.

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