Passing as Native Musicians

[Ric_Richardson]

Tansi;

As part of the Metis Nation, which had worked very hard to have the Metis people included in the Canadian Constitution Act, 1982, which recognized Aboriginal Rights for Indian, Inuit and Metis people, I continue to be offended that there are many people who choose to use our name, as a way of establishing some form of "credibility" when they are not recognized by the people of their heritage.

It would be good if Flying Dust would introduce his/her self, as I live next door to the Flying Dust First Nation, outside of Meadow Lake, Saskatchewan, where many of our relatives live.  The Metis are well known there and we do work with the First Nation in many areas of mutual concern.  Once, the Metis and First Nations walked together, it is time we remember that.  Governments have worked hard to separate us and try to have us fight over, mainly funding issues and political areas of responsibility.

My father always told me that Metis people all have relatives on Reserves and we must recognize them, as they do us.  I wonder who this Arvel Bird's relatives are, and which Canadian Reserve they live in.

Ric

[flyingdust]

I just sent you a private message, ric.  I think we know each other.  It's true, many Indigenous peoples in Canada are interrelated, whether they're Métis, Status (Treaty), or Non-Status Indian.  I'm a Treaty Indian, but half of my relatives are Métis and/or Half Breed (as many of my relatives call themselves because of their English or Scottish ancestry).

New age and plastic shamans can toot their horns all they want about being this or that, but in reality they will never get approval or support from our true Indigenous communities, or from the Spirit, for that matter.  Our medicine people, spiritual leaders, and healers have gained their recognition and status directly from their own community first.  They attained this status through being petitioned by the Spirit and the people of the community to do certain things or carry out certain responsibilities.  My old teacher once told me: "Nobody wants to be the big cheese in the Indian world."  They become ceremonial leaders only because the Spirit pursues them to do so and the people of their community recognize that.  And they certainly don't do it through grandstanding what they know.  No Indigenous person in his right mind would do that.  He would be laughed at and humbled pretty fast.

When it comes to passing yourself off as a Native musician...same thing.  A true Native Musician gets his music from the Spirit.  All the songs our spiritual leaders sing have power and are meant only to be sung in ceremonial settings and nowhere else - certainly not to be recorded and sold in the music industry.  If they commercialized that music, it would lose its power and the traditional singer would face disapproval from his community.  This is a very strict definition of a Native musician. The point here is, The Spirit and the Indigenous community together is what it takes to make a Native Musician and these two agents are inseparable.  So you can't have a Newager come along and say the spirit alone gave him this gift or responsibility, to do whatever he pleases with it.

[Ric_Richardson]

Tansi;

Thank you for the PM, Flying Dust!  My main point, here, is that the many people who claim to be Metis, in order to create some form of "credibility", have been getting challenged, just like those who claim other Cultures, by the people of those Cultures.  The Metis National Council has been working to develop genealogical databases, in order to help with the recognition of Metis families and individuals.  

If anyone has talent, they should be very Grateful that they have been Gifted, in this way.  I believe that it is disrespectful, at least, for someone to make false claims, solely for the purpose of furthering their opportunities to make money.  When someone claims to be a part of a vibrant and living Culture, their claims will be taken to represent those Cultures and may adversely affect the public's view of that Culture, whether it be Cherokee, Metis or any others.
Ekosi
Ric
edited to correct spelling of National, not Nationional.

[BlackWolf]

When I first heard about Arvel Bird, I came to understand that he was unenrolled Southern Paiute, and enrolled “Métis” from Canada.  This led me to believe that he had some kind of official connection to Métis people in Canada.  From my understanding of what the term means, it has always been meant specifically for people of Canada who were mixed White (mostly French)/ Native American.  It would never have been meant for Mixed Blood American Indians from the United States.  Maybe in some of the border areas it might be a little murky, but if someone is claiming to be Métis based on their status as a Paiute from the United States, then that’s misleading.  It would be like someone who was from Mexico and of mixed Native Mexican Indian and white/Spaniard heritage claiming to be “Métis” because they were mixed blood.  Why would they say that as opposed to the “mestizo” term they use down there?  It would also be like mixed blood cherokees from Oklahoma claiming to be “Métis” when they have nothing to do with Canada. 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XCXkSthGM7Q

[BlackWolf]

And also, as far as I know, he’s not enrolled with any Southern Paiute Tribe or Band.  ( He even says this himself).  I’ve also heard him say that he could not enroll with any Southern Paiute Tribe because his grandma or great grandma missed the rolls or something like that.  So when he mentioned he was Métis, I assumed that he had possibly a mother or father from Canada who was Metis, and that’s why he claims to be “enrolled Métis”.  

Here’s his bio.  Nothing about Canada.
http://arvelbird.com/bio/

I’ve heard him say this;  “I’m enrolled Métis”. So if he got his Métis status from some heritage organization in Canada that doesn’t require any kind of substantial evidence that he is someone descended form Métis people of Canada , then he (Arvel Bird is being disingenuous and misleading to the public).  Even if he actually did live there with a Métis community in Canada and spent some time with comminutes there in Canada, it still would be misleading.  From what I could find out the Southern Paiute are form Southern California, Utah, Arizona and Nevada and do not have any connection to Canada from I can see..  

He seems to be using the term as some sort of added amenity to his Bio.  Or as Kathryn says “because it sounds more exotic”. And I agree with Ric_Richardson that this term should only be used by Métis people from Canada. There should also be a clear distinction between Metis people of Status and just anyone that cliams to be Metis.

[Defend the Sacred]

And I agree with Ric_Richardson that this term should only be used by Métis people from Canada. There should also be a clear distinction between Metis people of Status and just anyone that cliams to be Metis.

Agreed here, too. There are lots of white American frauds with no connection to Metis culture, but  fantasies of some way-back, maybe-ancestor who may have been NDN, who are misappropriating this term to just mean "mixed blood". We need to spread awareness about what this really means. I tried to wade into the mess that some have made of this term on Wikipedia, but it was overwhelming. I'm not even sure where to start. And there are vicious frauds like Harley Reagan's crew who are also trying to redefine/misappropriate "Metis". Some even try to muddy the waters by nitpicking between "Metis" and “Métis”. 

[BlackWolf]

Does anyone know if this guy "Micheal Searching Bear" is Eastern Band Cherokee from NC?

It says he is here.

Tribal Affiliation Eastern Band Cherokee

http://www.nativetelecom.org/michael_searching_bear_0

http://www.searchingbearflutes.com/MSB/MSBFrameset-1.htm

Michael is proud to be a member of the Eastern Cherokee tribe & of Powhatan descent....

His interpretaion of the Booger Dance
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=63pK1x-eagg&feature=related

[wolfhawaii]

Never heard of him before but his name makes him sound fake.

[BlackWolf]

wolfhawaii said

Never heard of him before but his name makes him sound fake.

Thats what I thought also wolfhawaii.  I've never heard of any "Searching Bear" Cherokee families either.  But it does clearly state on that link I provided that he is "Eastern Band Cherokee".  So if he's not, then he is being misrepresented.  He is a Nammy Winner also, but as we know, that doesn't nessasarily mean he is "Cherokee" or "American Indian".  There seems to be a lot of non Indian Nammy winners these days.  I've asked a few Cherokees about him, and they never heard of him either.  I'd like to hear from more Cherokees from NC on this.



Also, he seems to be doing a lot of teachings.  And also that Booger Dance video is more then just being about "music" as he is representing a very important part of Cherokee Culture by potraying the Booger Dance. I'm going to see if I can find out anymore.  

He teaches and performs in various arenas, from historical societies,
corporate business gatherings, Native arts organizations, festivals, theaters
and colleges to day care facilities, K-12 schools and national events.

[flyingdust]

I agree.  I checked out the web pages you posted, Blackwolf.  Searching Bear (yes, clearly a made-up name) looks fake and he's clearly overstepped the boundaries with the Booger Dance performance to the point of desecrating that ceremony.  In one video he and his players were dressed like NDNs while young women performed some kind of pagan ritual dance - clearly new aged stuff.  And what's up with the Nammys letting non-NDNs pass themselves off as Native American musicians and win awards?  Something's really wrong with this picture.  The Nammys is a great venue when real NDNs enter and win.  The Nammys originally set out to honour and recognize Native American musicians, and they still do.  But their criterion for membership needs to require more proof of Native American authenticity, because the phonies are slipping through.  It's so easy to pass yourself off as a Native musician as long as the only requirement to become a member is to declare either "Tribal Membership or Affiliation".  But then again, in a Nammys page of who's who they're proud to acknowledge famous musicians as having Native blood like Willie Nelson (Cherokee), Elvis Presley (Cherokee), Billy Ray Cyrus...and therefore Miley, too (Cherokee), Rita Coolidge (Cherokee), and Crystal Gayle (Cherokee)...hey how come they're all Cherokee and not Cree Like me?  


  

[E.P. Grondine]

  But then again, in a Nammys page of who's who they're proud to acknowledge famous musicians as having Native blood like Willie Nelson (Cherokee), Elvis Presley (Cherokee), Billy Ray Cyrus...and therefore Miley, too (Cherokee), Rita Coolidge (Cherokee), and Crystal Gayle (Cherokee)...hey how come they're all Cherokee and not Cree Like me?   

Because Nashville is in Tennesee.

Link Wray was of Shawnee descent; Shania Twain of Ojibwe.

[flyingdust]

Because Nashville is in Tennesee.
Link Wray was of Shawnee descent; Shania Twain of Ojibwe.

None of the above mentioned are from Nashville.  Willie Nelson is from Texas, Elvis was from Memphis, Billy Ray Cyrus from Flatwoods, Kentucky, Rita Coolidge from Lafayette, and Crystal Gayle from Paintsville (KY).  Shania Twain is from Canada and she has never claimed to have Native blood.  She was raised in a First Nation community because her step-father was Ojibwe. 

The point here is none of the above musicians are considered frauds in the context of this thread.  None of them have made their claim to fame under the false pretences of being Native American musicians and as imposters of Native American music traditions. 

Whether they really are of Cherokee descent is questionable at best.  It’s trendy for many white musicians to claim Cherokee or Apache descent in the American music industry that draws on the mystique of American Indians in a kind of ambivalent way.  The Nammys of course is drawing on this popular and noble imagery of Indians to raise its own image in the music industry. Is this a harmless trend?  I wouldn’t call it fraudulent misrepresentation.  It’s more like a white lie. 

[debbieredbear]

Rita Coolidge has documented Cherokee ancestry and is a member of the group Walela, along with her sister and niece. Crystal Gayle, sister of Loretta Lynn also has documented Chrokee ancestry. However, Crystal Gayle and Loretta Lynn just claim the nacestry, not that they are Cherokee. Willie Nelson was married to a Cherokee woman. I haven't heard him claim to be Cherokee. Have no idea of the ancestry of the others.

[Rattlebone]

Willie Nelson was married to a Cherokee woman. I haven't heard him claim to be Cherokee.

I have heard him claim to be Indian in an interview, and I believe he said he was Cherokee. When I as GON a few years ago, they were even letting the audience know that he was Indian on some electric billboard about 4 years ago or so. His name was mentioned with others including Jimi Hendrix whom also claimed to be Cherokee.

[Unegv Waya]

Does anyone know if this guy "Micheal Searching Bear" is Eastern Band Cherokee from NC?

It says he is here.

Tribal Affiliation Eastern Band Cherokee

Sorry to have been absent for a while.  Had a couple of medical issues to tend to.

I don't by any means work with all the various artists who travel out of Quallah but I do run across quite a few and hear of many others.  This guy does not ring a bell with me.  

nvwatohiyadv