Sioux Favorites
Canyon Records ARP 6059
This music has been recorded under varying conditions – on location at actual dances with battery-operated recorders, at celebrations, and in modern studio settings with high fidelity equipment. In all cases it is completely authentic, and is presented her just as it "actually happened" without editing or artificial electronic effects or "gimmicks."
Play song |
Name |
Performed by |
Description |
Native Words |
Translation |
Notes |
 |
Sioux National Anthem | William Horncloud, Pine Ridge | These two songs usually begin in a civic ceremony or a special get-to-gether. The solemn National Anthem (the words are not always identical) always honors the United States; the faster Victory Song honors the patriotism of all Sioux heroes and war veterans. | Sioux | ||
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Victory Song | William Horncloud, Pine Ridge | Sioux | |||
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Sioux Flag Song | William Horncloud, Pine Ridge | A flag song, which always honors the flag of the United States, is also used to open a formal celebration. There are many of these songs. They are being composed constantly and usually deal with current events, particularly wars: World War II, the Korean conflict, the war in Vietnam–and the brave Sioux boys who participated. | Sioux | ||
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Scouting Dance Song | Oglala Sioux Singers: W. Horncloud, Ben Sitting Up, Frank Afraid of Horses | Song for an attractive ceremonial dance. | Sioux | ||
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Chief's Honoring Song | Oglala Sioux Singers: W. Horncloud, Ben Sitting Up, Frank Afraid of Horse | A song composed to honor a chief for his wise decisions and good deeds. | Sioux | ||
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Korea Memorial Song | Oglala Sioux Singers: W. Horncloud, Ben Sitting Up, Frank Afraid of Horse | Memorializes the Sioux boys in the U.S. Armed Forces in the Korean conflict. Written while they were still in service, it sings of "the Indians of the Peace Pipes being shot at in Korea." | Sioux | ||
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Sioux Love Song | Oglala Sioux Singers: W. Horncloud, Ben Sitting Up, Frank Afraid of Horse | This Sioux love song is interesting for both its fine Sioux melody and for the way in which it is presented. It is the story of a man who went to visit his sister-in-law whom he loves better than his wife. As he comes home late at night through the woods, he sings over the love words she spoke to him – while owls hoot at him and coyotes howl their derision. | Sioux | ||
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Rabbit Dance | Singers from Pine Ridge, Rosebud, Ft. Thompson, and Cheyenne River | In the Rabbit dances, men and women dance together, both facing forward, and usually holding one another's hands crossed together in front. (Another version is for the woman to encircle the man's waist while he puts his arm around her shoulder – sometimes holding a blanket around their shoulders.) The couples form a circle and dance forward clockwise, with each couple following the lead couple. Following the beat, the left foot goes forward and the right closes with a dragging or sliding movement. The accompanying Rabbit dance songs are composed of introductory and closing vocables – with choruses of words in between. The words are amorous, dealing with love or courting. Omaha dances and Grass dances are different names for the same type of dance: it's usually called "Omaha" by the more Southern reservations and "Grass" by the Northern tribes. It takes the name "Omaha" from the tribe which originated the dance and from whom the Sioux obtained it; it takes the name "Grass" because in older times the originators wore grass braids at their waists representing their enemies slain. No one has matched the description of the Omaha dance of William Power in his painstaking study of Sioux music first published in "American Indian Tradition" Vol. 8, No. 1: "Feathers flying, dust rising, and everyone having a good time . . . For it is in the Omaha dance that each man may dance as he chooses to show off his ability to keep time with the song, to flaunt his feathers in the style of the old-timers . . ." |
Sioux | ||
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Grass Dance | Pine Ridge, Rosebud, Ft. Thompson Singers | Sioux | |||
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Omaha Dance | Pine Ridge, Rosebud, Ft. Thompson Singers | Sioux | |||
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Second Grass Dance | Pine Ridge, Rosebud, Ft. Thompson Singers | Sioux | |||
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Second Omaha Dance | Pine Ridge, Rosebud, Ft. Thompson Singers | Sioux | |||
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Rabbit Dance 2 | Oglala Sioux Singers: W. Horncloud, Ben Sitting Up, Frank Afraid of Horse | Sioux | |||
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Love Song | William Horncloud | Sioux |