Native Music and Musicians/Native American Heritage Month

I've got to admit it. I love a good powwow. The sound of the drums, songs being sung in various tribal languages, and our people dancing together in the circle, dressed in our best regalia. The striking down on the honor beats and the lifting of the feather fans to the Sky, in honor of our ancestors and those generations yet to come. There's nothing like a good powwow. But Native music is not just flutes and drums. Let's learn more about Native music and musicians, with our resources here at San Jose Public Library!

I Love A Good Powwow!

Southern and Northern Style Pow-wow Songs, book cover
Best of both worlds, book cover
Round dance songs recorded live, book cover
Round dance jam, book cover
Powwow, book cover
POWWOW, book cover
Celebrating the Powwow, book cover
Powwow, book cover


Beyond the Powwow-Native Musicians in Popular Culture

Rumble, book cover
Music for The Native Americans, book cover
Native Musicians in the Groove, book cover
 The Best of Buffy Sainte-Marie, book cover
Native America, book cover
Think Global Native America, book cover


I highly recommend the documentary "Rumble" as it delves into the Native contributions into Jazz, Country , R & B, and Rock music throughout several decades. Native musicians have been experimenting with several different musical genres. More recently, there have been Native musicians exploring electronica, Hiphop, Trip Hop, Trap, and Dubstep. One of my favorite groups The Halluci Nation (formerly known as A Tribe Called Red), spins that electric sound with that awesome Six Nations style!


And finally a song that was made popular (again) by being featured on the soundtrack for the first "Guardians of The Galaxy" movie in the intro scene "Come and Get Your Love" by Redbone. Redbone is Native!

Did You Know They Were/Are Native?

West Coast Seattle Boy, book cover
Nobody Left to Crown, book cover
Hank Williams, book cover
You Don't Know Me, book cover
All Time Gospel Favorites, book cover
Night of Hunters, book cover
All World, book cover
Fallin' Up, book cover
20 All-time Greatest Hits!, book cover


Here's a selection from Robbie Robertson (Mohawk from Six Nations in Ontario). His career hasspanned decades from his time with The Band, through his solo career, and to his current work on movie soundtracks.


Finally a song from Taboo of The Black Eyed Peas, in collaboration with SupaMan and other Native musicians and MCs. We Are One!