Federated Indian Tribes Series 1000

To the trained Indian ear, these songs will follow the familiar pattern of good old Indian music. We have tried to select songs that have never been recorded. A few of the songs have. We have tried to give the listener a large selection of entirely different-type songs. Only the old brass bells were used by the dancers. Only the women's turtle shell leg rattles were used in our stop dances. Only authentic music and accoutrements have been used.

To the untrained ear, we ask you to listen to the record several times and we know that you will come to realize where real music originates. The lub dub of the Indian drum in many of the songs should be quite familiar to the student of physiology. The Indian listened to his own heart to obtain his drum beat. He listened to the wind sighing through the tree people, the brook babbling as it gaily splashed over the rock people. The sounds of nature in all of the sharps, flats, and quarter tones. The howl of the Wolf people and the Coyote people, the low voiced growl of the Bear people. All of these shaped over thousands of years into American Indian music and song.

In our recordings you will hear the sounds of the Atlantic Coast, the music of the Mountain People of the Carolinas, the distinctive music of the High Plains culture, Sioux, Cheyenne, Kiowa and others, the communal music of the Southeast and the songs of the Southwest. You will hear the follow-the-leader type sacred dances of the Woodland People of the Southeast, the music they brought with them from Georgia, Alabama, Louisiana, Carolina, Tennessee, and Florida into Oklahoma in a tragic death march which later became known as the "Trail of Tears."

Federated Indian Tribes is an organization made up of American Indians and their families banded together to perpetuate and maintain traditional cultures. Although coming form different stratas of business, trades and professions and many highly varied tribal cultures, we function together as one band and one people. We meet several times each month for socials, pow wows and religious activities. Each member is authentically costumed in his or her own tribal costuming. Federated Indian Tribes is represented in Southern California, San Francisco By Area, Northern California, two provinces of Canada, Arizona, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Kansas, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, Montana, Ohio, Indiana, and as this is being written, more areas are being added.

Our lead singers in this enterprise are: Dr. John Jeffries Spottedwolf, a Cherokee Indian and Peace Chief of Federated Indian Tribes, Jim Gamache Roanhorse, an Osage Indian and Turtle clan Chief of our federation, James Whiteman Osapana, Powhaton Indian and the Long Talker of Federated Indian Tribes, Juanita Smithfield Yellowbird, a Chickasaw Indian and Clan Mother of the Eagle Clan. Our technical director was Fred Gabaurie Whitedeer, a Seneca Indian and our War Chief. These are by no means the only singers, just the lead singers from our federation. We would also like to mention: Coyote's Brother, Shoshone, Corn Blossom and Blue Crane, Osages, Stan Big Echo, Tsimpshean, Spottedbird, Cherokee, Holy Shawl, Rosebud Sioux, Swift Deer, Chickasaw, Mohawk, Running Elk and Many Steps, Seneca, Swift Arrow and Blue Bird, Cherokees, Charles Bruner Rolling Cloud, Creek (Muscogee), Big Heart, Osage, Red Star and Little Turtle, Cherokees, Grey Haw, Cheyenne, and many other who in one way or another helped.

This record is humbly dedicated to those American Indians, who despite tremendous pressures designed to separate the Indian from his culture, have steadfastly refused to be swayed. People who have handed down to their children those cultural values which inspire us in this time of racketry to remain true to our own way of life. Or to express it otherwise: To remain true, with a good heart, a straight tongue, and our moccasins pointed toward the Red Man's path.