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Northwest (Puget Sound)

The Music Of The Northwest (Puget Sound)

Recorded and Edited by Willard Rhodes
Music of the American Indian from the Archive of Folk Culture L34
The music of this area shares with North American Indian music a number of general traits which also occur in South America and link Indian music with that of the Eskimo and the paleo-Siberians in Asia. But in addition there are localized features which set it apart in style from much other North American Indian music. In a study of Salish music George Herzog noted the following characteristics: "a heavy proportion of melodies with comparatively small range; frequency of wide jumps and of 'broken triad' formations; various intricacies of rhythmic accompaniment in its relation to the voice, including frequent syncopation; the importance of rigid percussion instruments; preference for rhythms of three, also of five; a looseness and flexibility of structural organization; dronelike usages representing modest germs of polyphony; and the role of women who are nearly as active musicians as are men." Here one may also note the use of half-tone steps and the rare intervals resulting from their presence–diminished fifth, augmented fourth or fifth–which appear infrequently in Indian music. Though the singing technique for this area has been identified with styles found widely over the North American continent, a comparison of the songs of this record with those of other tribes and areas leads one to question the correctness of this view. It is possible that a more detailed study of a large body of material from this area will lead to the identification of a third type of Indian singing, intermediate to the two types now generally recognized. In relation to the musical style of the vast Northwest Coast, the music of this limited area appears marginal. Herzog suggests that the longer, more strictly organized melodies of the Northwest Coast appear as an "elaboration imposed upon what may well have been a common, or similar, simple base."

The earliest account of the music of the Northwest is that of Captain Cook in his journal reporting his visit to Nootka Sound in 1778. Despite the tremendous changes that have taken place during the past two centuries, many of Captain Cook's observations on Nootka singing are still valid and have been confirmed by present day students. Captain Cook's account follows:
These songs, which have been occasionally mentioned, bear no little resemblance to those performed by the New Zealanders, the violent motions and hideous contortions of the limbs excepted, which these have not. They seem also to sing them indifferently, whether disposed for war, or peace; for they frequently entertained us with a song, evidently with no other design than to please us, and we once saw two parties in canoes drawn up in order of battle facing each other, each singing in their turn, and we expected every minute they would be by the ears together, but at length they parted and the strangers returned from whence they came. Not, if we understood them right, that they refused the challenge that was given them, but declined it, or pretended to decline it on account saying we would assist the other against them, so as it appeared that we were the occasion of the quarrel, so on the other hand it appeared that we were the means of preventing them from coming to blows, oftener I believe, than this once, for our friends sometimes carried it with rather a high hand over strangers who occasionally came to visit us. But to return to their song, those which they sing as a peaceable amusement are sometimes conducted by a man singer, dressed in at garment of many colours, to which is hung deer hoofs, pieces of bone, etc., in such a manner as to strike one against another at every motion of the body. This man is masked and shakes in his hand a rattle, as do also some of the others, and if they had any masks with them they generally put them on and for want of which I have seen a fellow put his head into a tin bottle he had got from us. These songs are always sung in concert, generally by the whole company, at the same time some brandish their weapons in the air, while others strike their paddles against the sides of their boats with such exactness as to produce but a single sound, at the divisions of their music, each strain ends in a loud and deep sigh, uttered in such a manner as to have a very
pleasing effect.

The only implements of music, if such they may be called, I saw among them was the rattle and a small pea-whistle about in inch long which they put wholly into the mouth. To the rattle they sing, but on what occasions they use the whistle I know not, unless it be when dress themselves like to and imitate other animals, they make a noise like them with this whistle as I once saw a man dressed in a wolf's skin with the head on over his own and imitating that animal, made a squeaking noise with the whistle, that I at first thought was done by some contrivance in the animal's head. The rattles are for the most part made in the shape of a bird, with a few pebble stones in the belly and the tail is the handle. They have however others that bear rather more resemblance to a child's rattle.
A more recent account is that of James G. Swan, commenting on the songs he heard at Neah Bay prior to 1869. Swan states:
The songs of the Makah are in great variety, and vary from that of the mother lulling her infant to sleep, to barbarous war cries and horribly discordant "medicine" refrains. Some of the tunes are sung in chorus. They are good imitators and readily learn the songs of the white men, particularly the popular negro melodies. Some of their best tunes are a mixture of our popular airs with notes of their own, and of these they sing several bars, and while one is expecting to hear them finish as they began, they will suddently change into a barbarous discord. Their songs at ceremonials consist of a recitative and chorus, in which it would be difficult for anyone to represent in musical character the wild, savage sounds to which they give utterance. Some of the tribes sing the songs that have been generally improvised. They keep time with a drum or tambourine, which is simply a skin stretched tightly over a hoop. These songs sound very well, and are melodious when compared to some of the other chants. Many, both males and females, have good voices, and could be taught to sing but their own native songs have nothing to recommend them to civilized ears. The words used are very few, seldom extending beyond those of a single sentence, and generally not more than one or two, which are repeated and sung by the hour. Sometimes they take the name of an individual and repeat it over and over.
Swan's comments on the music of the Makah are especially interesting, for they call attention to the borrowing of songs from other tribes and the process of musical acculturation, operative then in the making of new songs as it is today.

Play song

Name

Performed by

Description

Native Words

Translation

Notes

Skagit Guardian Spirit Song Tommy Bob, with the assistance of Mrs. Tommy Bob, Mrs. Amelia Billie, and Mrs. Amelia Dart The activities of daily life in the Northwest were closely connected with spirit power. Since guardian spirits were individually acquired, there was considerable variation in the Source of the spirit and the nature of its power. The "Skagit Guardian Spirit Song" (Al) is the personal power song of Tommy Bob and was "received" when he was twelve years old. The name of this particular spirit power is Swadélitch, and its special function is the guarding and watching of objects. It manifests itself through the animation of instruments, of which the Skagit recognize four types. The type of instrument associated with this song is the power board which is generally used in pairs. When the owner sings, the boards, each firmly held by two men, are animated by the spirit, which pulls the men about according to the song that is sung.

The physical concentration and emotional absorption which accompanies the singing of Guardian Spirit songs is plainly evident in the frenzied rendition of this song. At the conclusion of the recording of the song Tommy Bob exclaimed, "I really go under the spirit when I'm singing that." An older Skagit, John Fornsby, in discussing guardian spirit, explained, "Sometimes when I shook, when guarding power came to me, my grandmother came and held me. I was singing there and I could feel the power come into me like the wind."*

There are a number of musical features which contribute to the interest of this song. The symmetry of the musical structure, with its phrases and sections so nicely balanced and clearly articulated by the two-tone cadential formula, is bound to impress the musically minded listener. The first section is in the nature of a freely improvised introduction, with considerable ornamentation of the long sustained tones. The second section, in a livelier tempo, and with a regularly recurring beat, provides a vivid contrast to the preceding section, at. the same time furnishing a rhythmic accompaniment for the dance. The concluding section, in a moderate tempo and triple meter, is a rhythmic variation of the two-tone cadential motive. Since this simple melodic cadence is derived from the introduction, the variation based upon it serves as a coda while recapitulating the melodic material of the opening section. These three sections form a well-rounded musical form, A B A'.

In the middle section of the song appear the only meaningful words, gwadada gwachah [Now you speak]. In dictating the text the singer added, hetsatisidith [That is me], but these words, if sung on the record, are not recognizable. Of such interest because of its relatively rare occurrence in North American Indian music is the musical phenomenon of heterophony, which may be observed in this section of the song. While the principal singer or leader carries forward the melody of the song, the women sustain a high monotone, which produces a striking harmonic effect. This budding trend toward part-singing hits been noted by Frances Densmore among the Papago, the Pawnee in their Morning Star Ceremony, and the Makah, Quileute, and Clayquot of the Northwest. In addition to the examples of heterophonic and harmonic singing on this record (Al, A5, B6) others have been recorded in the Stomp Dance songs of the Creek (Music of the American Indian, AFS L37 Delaware, Choctaw, Creek, Cherokee).

Throughout the song there is a gradual mounting of pitch, sometimes effected within the framework of a structural section, other times between sections, but almost always clearly articulated. The second of the introductory section, which is basically a varied repetition of the first phrase, is pitched a half tone higher than its prototype. The middle section of the song is further raised approximately a half tone. This constant climbing of pitch continues to the end of the song when it cadences on a final tone one-and-a-half steps above the central, organizing tone of the first phrase. This gradual mounting of pitch within a song may be an idiosyncracy of the individual singer, but inasmuch as it occurs consistently with various singers and has been noted elsewhere among the Coast Salish by Helen Roberts, one is tempted to regard this phenomenon as one of the stylistic features of the music of this area, Further studies will either confirm or correct this assumption.

This song, sung by Tommy Bob, with the assistance of Mrs. Tommy Bob, Mrs. Amelia Billie, and Mrs. Amelia Dart, was recorded in the Bob home in La Conner, Washington, August 21, 1950.


* June Collins, "John Fornsby: The Personal Document of a Coast Salish Indian," in Indians of the Urban Northwest, Marian Smith, editor. New York, 1949, p. 317.
Skagit
Lummi Paddling Song Joseph Hillaire The countless miles of shoreline and numerous waterways of the Northwest made canoe transportation the natural medium of travel for Indians of that area. Canoe trips more often accompanied by paddling songs, sung in the manner described by Captain Cook in his journal reporting his visit to Nootka Sound in 1778. The "Lummi Paddling Song" presented here is the property of the Frank Hillaire family and is characteristic of the canoe songs owned by families for such occasions. Sung by Joseph Hillaire, the song was recorded in the library of the Lummi Day School, Lummi Reservation near Marietta, Washington, August 15, 1950. The regularly recurring rhythmic movements of paddling have doubtlessly influenced the rhythm of this triple metered melody. The descending, glissando exclamation at the end of the song and after each of its repetitions is a signal to the paddlers to shift their paddles to the opposite side of the canoe. The melody is based on a descending pentatonic scale, A, G, F, D, C, with an auxiliary tone G sharp. It may be noted that the first repetition of the song is pitched about a quarter tone above the first statement, the second repetition, a full half tone higher. The song is vocalized on the following syllables. O ho ho
O ho ho
O he he o
O ho ho ho
He ya he
A ho
A ho ho ho
He ya he
O hi o hi o hi
Ho
Lummi
The Story Of The Rock And The Little Crabs Joseph Hillaire The folklore of the American Indian is rich in legends and myths. The "Story of the Rock and the Little Crabs," with its accompanying song and imitation of the waves, is typical of the legends with which the Coast, Salish entertained their children during the long winter evenings. The story, told here by Joseph Hillaire, was recorded in the library of the Lummi Day School, Lummi Reservation, near Marietta, Washington, August 16, 1950. Mr. Hillaire
learned this story from his mother who came from Fraser River.

The story of the Rock and the Little Crabs that abound along the shores of Puget Sound goes like this: The Rock was the Grandmother, and the Little Crabs
that live under these rocks along the shoreline are her grandchildren. A great storm started to blow and the waves beat upon the shore and Grandma Rock began to lament because of the awful shock coming up her head. And so she began to sing, hoping that the wind and storm would abate.

Wuthauwata, wuthauwata
Wuthauwata, wuthauwata
Nuslaxheyasi

[Now there is nothing more]
Nuslaxheyasi
[That I can do with my head]
Wuthauwata, wuthauwata
But the waves continued to beat Oom! Oom! Oom!
So she continued to sing:
Wuthauwata, wuthauwata
Wuthauwata, wuthauwata
Nuslalenuxta

[Now there is nothing more]
Nuslaxheyasi
[That I can do with my head]
Wuthauwata, wuthauwata

My dear little grandchildren, one of you should go up to the top of my head and see if the storm is quieting down. So hurriedly the oldest one of these Little Crabs hastened outside, out from under the Rock, and started to climb. As he got about half way up on the side of the Rock the waves struck him and knocked him down, and he came tumbling in again. So Granny had to sing her song again.
Wuthauwata, wuthauwata
Wuthauwata, wuthauwata
Nuslalenuxta
[Now there is nothing more]
Nuslaxheyasi
[That I can do with my head]
Wuthauwata, wuthauwata

One after another the Little Crabs took their turn to go up and see if the storm had abated. But each time they came tumbling down until the last tiny crab made its little effort to go out and see, And lo and behold, he was able to get right on top of the stone, the great Rock, his Grandmother, and look out on the beautiful calm of the sea. Arid so he came back and told his Granny that it was a beautiful, calm day. And so all the Little Crabs came up on top of Grandma's head, and looked on the waters, and they saw the dry particles of sand floating on the surface of the water. And they were happy that a beautiful day had come. So they would mock the sound of the wave. They would say:
Oowoom! Oowoom! Oowoom!
That's all.

Salish
Chinook Jargon Song 1 Henry Allen The barrier created by the great diversity of languages and dialects on the Northwest Coast was obviated by the development. of a lingua franca, the Chinook jargon. This intertribal language, composed of Nootka, Chinook, English, and French, served both the trader and the missionary in their dealings and communications with the natives. In 1878 a little pamphlet entitled Hymns in the Chinook Jargon was printed. It proved to be very useful to its author and compiler the Reverend Myron Eells, and his associates in their missionary endeavors. In his book, Ten Years Missionary Work at Skokomish, Eells writes: "The First efforts were to translate some of our simpler hymns into the Chinook language, but this we found to be impractical, with one or two exceptions. The expressions, syllables, and accent did not agree well enough for it; so we made up some simple sentiment, repeated it two or three times, fitted it to one of our tunes, and sang it," Among the tunes employed by Eells are "John Brown," ",Jesus Loves Me," "Hebrew Children," "A. B. C.," "Bounding Billows," and "I'm Going Home." Many of these spiritual folk melodies originated in New England and were passed on by oral tradition and printed songsters during the Great Awakening, that revivalistic movement of the eighteenth and nineteenth century which swept through the southern states and into the new settlements of Kentucky and the West. There they, served the religious needs of a pioneer population for three quarters of a century before being introduced to the Indians of the Northwest. In Hymns in the Chinook Jargon (second edition revised and enlarged, Portland, Oregon, 1889) Eells gives the following texts to the two songs which Henry Allen sings on the record (A4). 1. Kwanesum Jesus hyas skookum
Kahkwa yaka papey wawa,
Delate nawitka,
Kahkwa yaka papeh wawa.
2. Jesus tolo kopa chuck, etc.
3. Jesus tolo kopa wind, etc.
4. Jesus tolo kopa mes chie, etc.
5. Jesus tolo kpa Lejaub, etc.
6. Jesus tolo kpa mimouluse, etc.
1. Always Jesus is very strong,
So His paper (the Bible) says,
Truly so,
So his paper says.
2. Jesus conquered the water, etc.
3. Jesus conquered the wind, etc.
4. Jesus conquered the wickedness, etc.
5. Jesus conquered the Devel, etc.
6. Jesus conquered the death, etc.
Chinook
Chinook Jargon Song 2 Henry Allen It will be noted that Henry Allen sings only the first verse of the first song, and the first and third verses of the second song. He was unable to recall the other verse. The tune of the first song, "Jesus Loves Me," is widely known throughout the world as the result of a Christian missionary activities. Folklorists will recognize the tune of the second song as that or the old "Marlbrough s'en va-t-en guerre," a tune that has been sung to "Pig in the a parlor," "For He's a Jolly Good Fellow," and countless other texts. Henry Allen, the singer, was intimately associated in his boyhood with Rev. Myron Eells and his missionary associates. These songs were recorded near Union, Washington, September 1, 1950. 1. Ahnkuttie nika tikegh whiskey
Ahnkuttie nika tikegh whiskey,
Ahnkuttie nika tikegh whiskey,
pe alta nika mash.
Alta nika mash,
Alta ninka mash,
Ahnkuttie nika tikegh whiskey,
Ahnkuttie nika tikegh whiskey,
Ahnkuttie nika tikegh whiskey,
Pe alta nika mash.
2. Whiskey has cultus, etc.
3. Whiskey mimoluse tillikums, etc.
4. Cultus klaska muckamuck, etc.
1. Formerly I loved whiskey,
Formerly I loved whiskey,
Formerly I loved whiskey,
But now I throw it away,
Now I throw it away,
Now I throw it away,
Formerly I loved whiskey,
Formerly I loved whiskey,
Formerly I loved whiskey,
But now I throw it away.
2. Whiskey is good for nothing, etc.
3. Whiskey kills people, etc.
4. They that drink it, drink what is worthless, etc.
Chinook
Shaker Church Song 1 Tommy Bob, Mrs. Tommy Bob, Mrs. Amelia Dan The Shaker Church songs, with their haunting melodic beauty and hypnotic, compelling rhythm, constitute the essential core of this religious cult, for it is in these sacred dance songs that the religion achieves its fullest and most exalted expression. Rhythmic and melodic fragments of gospel hymns of evangelical sects have been elaborated according to native principles and techniques of melodic development into a song type so homogeneous and distinct in style that it can be readily recognized.

The group of four songs (A5), sung by Tommy Bob, Mrs. Tommy Bob, Mrs. Amelia Dan, we recorded in the Bob home in La Conner, Washington, August 21, 1950. Mr. Bob classified these songs as "work songs," which involve dancing about the patient being worked over, and "prayer songs" used for devotional purposes. Before the recording of the Shaker songs, Tommy Bob, a licensed preacher of the Shaker Church, offered the following prayer:
Almighty God, at this time we look up to you, Lord Savior, Jesus Chris. Lord, accept this prayer recording by our white brother who has come to know our ways of living our Christian life. Jesus, according to your Word, that You wanted me to work for You and stand up for You, when You brought me back from my death-bed, Jesus, and You spoke in my heart, and You showed me all things to share with You in truth only. Now at this time, Jesus Christ, bless the brother in this home. My humble prayer to him that these things recorded that some other people may understand our ways and how to carry on our religion. When one of the Indian race died, before he died he told his brothers not to be buried until after the fourth day. He came back after the fourth day and preached the Word of God. He came back with a spiritual gift, the healing power of God, to save the lost, the heal the sick. At this time, my Lord, Jesus Christ, in my humble prayer at this time, Jesus, accept my prayer that this thing may come true. that this record may travel to far brothers that don't know You, Lord, Jesus Christ, and for them to know our ways that our Indian race here in the Swinomish Tribe, I will sing this song that was given to one of our members. They didn't know God, they didn't know Jesus. And Jesus wanted to know where we are traveling in the right path. So Lord, accept this prayer.
Reverend Bob's prayer, spoken in English, was accompanied by a counterpoint of similar prayers, freely improvised in the native language, by Mrs. Bob, Mrs. Billie, and Mrs. Dan. The songs presented here are prefaced with an exclamation, He, Massa Je, he, Massee. At the end of the recording session, the following prayer was made by Reverend Bob:
At this closing of our song and prayer, where we'll all pray and thank the Lord for accepting this here recording, His wonderful gift that was given to the poor Indian race, that didn't know God. But God give us understanding by delivering this wonderful spiritual gift into our heart, that we might save someone out in the world, that we might save the one that's sick. So at this time, Sisters, we will now pray for the closing of this here recording, the wonderful gift of God.
Qwaxs nak man
[In the name of the Father,]
Se to man
[The Son,]
Santu splee
[And the Hlly Ghost.]
Almightly God, at the closing of our recording, Your wonderful words, and we pray look up to you again, my Lord, Jesus Christ, Oh, Lord, You're so merciful and You're so kind, that the way was open for my white brother to come into this humble home. (The balance of this closing prayer was not recorded because the reel of tape ran out.)
Many of the musical features of the Guardian Spirit songs have been transferred to the Shaker Church songs. The emotional involvement and absorption in the singing of Shaker songs is comparable to the spirit possession described by Tommy bob after the recording of the "Skagit Guardian Spirit Song" (A1). One singer and informant, when asked to sing only one Shaker song at a time, countered that she was unable to do this and explained that she had to sing the songs as they came to her. In the second song of this group one encounters another instance of heterophonic singing like that observed in the "Skagit Guardian Spirit Song" (A1). The vocal technique and manner of singing, common to these two categories of songs, included relatively clear intonation, also noted by Helen Roberts in her study of sixteen Snohomish melodies, a refined, expressive vibrato, the employment of the diminuendo at the close of a song, and the deep, heavy audible inhalations, which punctuate the phrases. To what extent these features are representative of the musical style of the area can be determined only after further studies have been made.

The sense of ownership, so dominant in Northwest culture, is operative with the Shaker music just as it is with the Guardian Spirit songs. Certain songs are regarded as the exclusive property of certain individuals and are sung only when the owners are present to start them. Like power songs, the Shaker songs are individually "received" by spiritual revelation in dreams. When questioned about her Shaker prayer song (B1), Mrs. Lyda Butler Hottowe explained: "I dreamed it. I dreamed it. And there was a woman that apparently was in good health, and I dreamed one night that I was on the top of an extreme high cliff. And it seemed to be miles down to the bottom, and she was just hanging on with her finger tips. And I know something miraculous had to be done to save her from falling, so I started singing this song in my dream. And that's the only song I've ever received while I was in the Shaker Church. That is the only prayer song I received." The song is sung several times in the native language, then repeated in English translation, a fairly common practice with Shaker songs. The words of Mrs. Hottowe's song follow.

The extent to which acculturation has taken place is manifest in the ease with which old culture patterns have been modernized and adapted to the teaching and practiced of Christianity. There is little or no conflict between the beliefs of the old guardian spirit cult and those of the more modern Shaker religion. For the average Indian they are complementary. It is significant that both the "Skagit Guardian Spirit Song" (A1) and the Shaker Church Songs (A5) were recorded the same evening by Rev. Tommy Bob and his neighbors.
Shaker
Shaker Church Song 2 Tommy Bob, Mrs. Tommy Bob, Mrs. Amelia Dan In a summary description of the musical style of Shaker songs based on an analysis of twenty-nine melodies, one may note: (1) the large tonal range of these melodies, (2) the tendency for the songs to begin on the octave above the tonic and to end on the tonic, (3) the more or less equitable distribution between upward and downward movement is the initial interval and the occasional use of repeated tones at the beginning of songs. (4) A "pendulum" melodic movement is common to the majority of the songs. (5) In a third of the songs the melodies follow the "broken triad" pattern. With regard to rhythmic organization there is: (6) a preponderance of 4/4 meter and a consistent adherence to it throughout the song, (7) a tendency for melodies to start on a strong down beat, and (8) little use of syncopation. (9) The tempo of the songs averages between sixty and seventy quarter notes to the minute and is gradually increased to about one hundred and twenty five beats to the minute. (10) Introductions and codas are infrequent. (11) The Shaker songs are organized into clear-cut structural forms composed of four, three, or two phrases, with preference for the three-phrase pattern. (12) Pentatonic scales furnish the tonal material for seventeen of the twenty-nine melodies. Of these seventeen melodies, twelve are based on the fourth pentatonic scale (C, D, E, F, G, A, C). (13) An accompaniment of bells played in a regular pulse of eighth notes and simply coordinated with the rhythm of the voice replaces more traditional accompaniment of drums and rigid percussion instruments. (14) The Shaker vocable, hai, so consistently used, is diagnostic feature of the style. (15) The vocal techniques and distinct singing style, though not exclusive with the Shaker songs, are nonetheless identifying features of this music. (16) Occasional examples of heterophony, so rare in North American Indian music, are to be observed in the Shaker songs. Jesus, Savior, daukwachi
Jesus, Savior, daukwachi
Jesus, Savior, daukwachi
ai, hai, hai ya
ai, hai, hai ya
Jesus, Saviour, help me
Jesus, Saviour, help me
Jesus, Saviour, help me
Shaker
Clallam Love Song George Hottowe and his sister, Mrs. Nellie Wilkie Songs in this category are distinguished by their lyricism and the intimacy of the thought and emotions they express. The words rarely consist of more than a simple statement that is broken into two or three short phrases and repeated over and over. But to the singer and the person to whom the song is addressed there is an inner meaning not apparent in the words themselves. The circumstances and situation attending the making of the song, the emotional relationship between the singer and the subject, memories and associations, shed an aura of warmth and feeling on the love songs. The "Clallam Love Song" (B2) sung by George Hottowe and his sister, Mrs. Nellie Wilkie, was recorded at Neah Bay, Washington, August 29, 1959. It is based on a descending pentatonic series of tones, B Flat, A flat, F, E flat, D flat, B flat, A flat, and is in triple meter. The words follow. He yai ya na
He yai ya na
He yai ya na
He yai ya na
He yai ya ni na ha ni na
He yai ya na
He yai ya ni na ha ni na
He yai ya ni na
Chau yai yeng sukwa
Chau yai yeng sukwa
Chau yai yeng sukwa
Chinkg su ya yeng u hai ya
Chau yai yeng sukwa ha ni na
You have gone so far away
You have gone so far away
You have gone so far away
On a long journey
You have gone so far away
Clallam
Quinalt Love Song Mrs. Hannah Bowechop The "Quinalt Love Song" (B4), sung by Mrs. Hannah Bowechop, daughter of Chief William Mason of Taholah, was recorded at Neah Bay, Washington, August 29, 1950. It is based on a four tone scale, F sharp, E, D, B, and is in a compound triple meter, the measures of irregular length. In the middle of the song the singer raises the pitch, thereby making the song end one half-tone higher than the original tonality. A comparison of the text as dictated by the singer with that as sung on the record will give some suggestions of the variation and liberty singers often introduce in their singing. The text as dictated by Mrs. Bowechop follows. Ai yat skiyutan tins yai ying watam ha
Ai yat skiyutan tins yai ying watam ha
As li wachi ya klan axt hans
At hans has sakl kiyutan
At hans has sakl kiyutan
On my horse I journey to see my loved one
On my horse I journey to see my loved one
Deliver me to my loved one
On the bad horse
On the bad horse
Quinault
Quinault Lullaby Mrs. Hannah Bowechop Indian babies were often sung to sleep with lullabies such as this charming one which Mrs. Hannah Bowechop learned from her mother. Today these songs are rare, for modern mothers seem less inclined to sing to their babies than the mothers and grandmothers of the past. The collecting of these songs is made difficult by the fact that many of the lullabies were little more than a freely improvised crooning, changing from day to day. Only when the lullaby crystallized into a clearly defined song-form through repetition could it be passed on from one generation to the next. The song employs a descending pentatonic series of tones, D, C, A, G, F, C with F serving as the tonic. It is in duple meter and is marked by syncopated rhythmic motive. The song was recorded at Neah Bay, Washington, August 29, 1950. The text follows. O tish ka he no ai yo
Tish ka he no ai yo
O tish he no ai yo
Tish ka he no ai yo
Ha a o o
Osh kishyam au
Tish ka he no ai yo
O tish he o ai yo
Tish ka he no ai yo
O tish he no ai yo
Ha a o.
Go to sleep now
My little darling, ai yo
O my little darling, ai yo
My little darling, ai yo
O my little darling, ai yo
Quinault
Tsaiyak Society Song 1 George Hottowe and his mother, Mrs. Lyda Butler Hottowe According to Frances Densmore, who witnessed a dance of the Tsaiyak Society at Neah Bay, Washington, August 26, 1926, "The songs were in pairs, the first being with a very rapid beating on the planks, after which the accompaniment changed to a measured beat on the drum. The dancing continued during both styles of accompaniment." The two Tsaiyak Society Songs (B5), presented here as sung by George Hottowe and his mother, Mrs. Lyda Butler Hottowe, appear in an order reverse to that described by Densmore. The songs were "received" by Mr. Tom Butler, Mrs. Hottowe's father, who was half Clallam and half white. Mrs. Hottowe believes that her fatner's grandmother was a member of the Tsaiyak Society. The songs were recorded at Neah Bay, Washington, August 29, 1950.

The triadic patterning of the two songs gives them a genetic relationship that is fairly obvious. The first song, in triple meter and a rapid, excited tempo, employes four tones, A, G, E flat, C. The trailing, descending glissando at the end of the song is characteristic of Tsaiyak Society songs. In the second song appears the word skaiyaxkasin, which is the name of the power received by the owner of the song. Mrs. Hottowe sang with closed eyes and in a frenetic, inspired state. The emotional excitement of her singing, the brilliant and beautiful tone color of her voice, the genuineness and sincerity of her performance are all captured on the record and may be enjoyed by those who listen with imagination, sympathy, and sensitivity.
Tsaiyak
Tsaiyak Society Song 2 George Hottowe and his mother, Mrs. Lyda Butler Hottowe Tsaiyak
Makah Bone Game Song 1 George Hottowe Much of the tension and social excitement that surround the bone games emanates from the songs which accompany them. Sung by the group of players that hides the bones and accompanied by drum and by striking of sticks on a long plank before the players, the songs rise in the course of the game to frenzied heights. This social activity engages not only the players but the onlookers as well in a hypnotic spell in which music plays a significant role. The songs are short and are repeated over and over until the guessing side has guessed the position of the bones. One is immediately impressed with the infectious rhythm of these songs and the great variety of rhythmic and melodic ideas which characterize them and serve as a means of cultural and social exchange between tribes. The older people at Neah Bay stated that some of the bone game songs now sung there were brought back from Alaska years ago by local Indians who had visited there and played with their hosts. The tribal proximity and fluidity of movement on the Northwest Coast with the resultant cultural exchange make it very difficult to establish tribal musical styles.

The four songs in this group (B6), led by George Hottowe, were recorded at Neah Bay, Washington, August 29, 1950. Regarding the third song of the group, Mrs. Nellie Wilkie remarked that it is "from our relatives and we have a right to sing it. And that's why I favor it." Most of the songs are without words, but the second song introduces the following Chinook jargon words.
Makah
Makah Bone Game Song 2 George Hottowe Makah
Makah Bone Game Song 3 George Hottowe Makah
Makah Bone Game Song 4 George Hottowe Makah