This week in class we sing a song by the Thompson River First Nation of Western Canada, something members of the tribe may sing with pride at a “Pow Wow.” A pow wow is a Native American/First Nations social gathering, a time for Native American tribes — sometimes just one tribe, but more often many — to sing, dance, socialize and respect their communal traditions. Music features prominently at most pow wows — drumming around a big gathering drum, singing with enthusiastic joy. Dancers interplay with the singing and rhythm, taking cues from, and giving cues to, the musicians. Some tribes’ songs are 100% vocables — sounds that replace distinct lyrics to experess emotion. Songs of other tribes, like the Cree, Pikuni, Lakhota and Salish, often feature lyrics in Native languages. In this video we enjoy a powerful pow wow performance by members of the Northern Cree.
We are revising the AllAroundThisWorld.com site — the information you’re seeking may still be here, but a lot of links are broken and details may be out of date. We are currently using a new (better!) site — ExploreEverywhere.com — to tell you all about our class offerings, our “pen pal” program and how to become one of our teachers, and will eventually be moving all the goodies from here over to there. So, GO TO THE NEW SITE!
