Passing as Native Musicians

[OdawaNDN]

Can anyone tell me why "Cherokee" flutists always aim their flutes up in the air like they are duck hunting?  Is that a "real" Cherokee thing?  LOL  If Michael is Cherokee NDN, the poor guy didn't get many of the features of his NDN ancestors.  But hey, I seen me a lotta fair skinned skins who were the real deal, so who knows?  I got a good friend who is E.B. Cherokee, I'll ask her and see what she can find out.  Until then, I'm gonna go see if I can shoot me a duck with a flute...................

[E.P. Grondine]

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.

According to this, Hendrix believed his grandmother was full blooded Cherokee:

http://www.classicbands.com/hendrix.html

[Unegv Waya]

OdawaNDN, it isn't a Cherokee thing but a flutist thing. 

[Defend the Sacred]

Thanks for the laugh, UW & Odawa

[CrazyCree]

There is a guy who claims to be Mohawk and when challenged will then claim to be an "Indian in my heart"

He is teaching drum making and cerimonies. As well as teaching about traditions and culture at various schools in and aroung Ottawa, Ontario.

http://www.davidfinkledrums.com

http://www.davidfinkledrums.com/workshop.php

http://www.myspace.com/davidfinkleflute

http://www.ottawasoundhealingconference.com/presenters/david-finkle/


He is not a Mohawk and has no connection to any reservation or long house.
He is just a white guy who is making money off of the Aboriginal Culture.

A favorite in the AFN and Ottawa crowd.

He has had a string of Aboriginal spouses he uses for thier treaty card numbers to gain access to Pow Wows to sell his wares.

He uses his daughter who is Aboriginal through her mothers side, to gain access to events as well.

http://www.davidfinkledrums.com/artist_profile.php?id=20

And now working with a Metis woman they secured funding from the government to start a company that teaches Aboriginal knowledge.

http://aboriginalresources.ca/music/

Check him out on Facebook. And then ask him about his Mohawk roots! No one from Tyendinaga knows him except when he lived there with his daughters Mom.

[E.P. Grondine]

Elvis Presley was of Cherokee ancestry:

http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000062/bio

Sad what happened when he wanted to claim it then.

[BlackWolf]

This guys looks highly suspect to me.

Danuwa analihi Adonvdo/ Cherokee Musician and Flute Player

http://www.danuwa.com/index.html

http://www.danuwa.com/FluteMusic2.html

http://nativedigest.com/dananado.html

[wolfhawaii]

He doesn't claim to be Cherokee, he claims his mother was Eno. His wife, who claims Cherokee descent, has been studying Cherokee language since 2007, and gave him his (very long) name. Not sure why he was wearing the plains style warbonnet and buckskins in some of the photos, lots of white folks expect that i guess, probably sells more cds that way.

[BlackWolf]

He doesn't claim to be Cherokee, he claims his mother was Eno. His wife, who claims Cherokee descent, has been studying Cherokee language since 2007, and gave him his (very long) name. Not sure why he was wearing the plains style warbonnet and buckskins in some of the photos, lots of white folks expect that i guess, probably sells more cds that way.

He ( Richard ) was adopted and later learned of his real mother's heritage of Eno (Lakota).

I guess thats why he's wearing the War Bonnet, because he claims to be of Lakota Heritage through his mother. Or is it Eno?  Aren't the Eno people from the NC area?   

Debbie was born in Fort Myers, FL. She was adopted & later learned of her tsalagi (Cherokee) heritage. Her adopted mother had told her that her real mother had named her Little Spirit Dove (Adonvdo Woya Usti in tsalagi). Woya then begin to research her roots. She began to learn her language, her culture, and ways. She learned she had a brother a year older than her. Last December 2008 she located him after all those years searching for him. She got in contact with him. She began to learn of her heritage, her Grandfather and father was Cherokee, and her mother was half Cherokee. This was closure for her, for she finally had names and info on who she was. She always had felt out of place and different growing up. She had darker skin than the kids in school and was always called half breed and squaw by the other kids. She loved the woods and was always outside, barefooted & playing with the wildlife & nature. She talked with the animals and understood their ways. It was as natural as breathing to her.

So their actually both claiming American Indian Heritage.  So how do we distinguish between the Real Native musicians and the phonies?  

[DISCIPLINE]

CODY SUNBEAR BLACKBIRD

[earthw7]

Ok i have to ask what is Eno???

[wolfhawaii]

Eno is/was a small group from the Piedmont of North Carolina who spoke a Souian language and banded together with other small groups after being pushed from their lands by white settlement. I don't have my reference on North Carolina tribes handy but I think anthropologists have considered the Eno extinct as a tribal entity for a long time.

[earthw7]

never heard of them of course who are----oh wait im lakota

[educatedindian]

CODY SUNBEAR BLACKBIRD

Could you explain that, go into more detail?

[Epiphany]

Would like to hear more on Cody Sunbird Blackbird too.

Cody has lived with native traditions all of his life.  Born as Eastern Band Cherokee, Cody's family moved far north when he was still very young.  Instead of the mountain, valleys and streams of his Cherokee ancestry, Cody grew up in Alaska and later moved to South Dakota.

While in South Dakota he came to know several members of the Sioux Nation and over time learned their traditions.  That is why when Cody sings his words are Lakota and not Cherokee.

Cody has performed as part of the featured entertainment quite literally around the globe.  He has performed at powwows, special cultural events and in concert across the USA and across both the International Date Line and the Equator.  This year he completed a tour that stretch from Alaska to Florida and then flew off to Australia on a sponsored, expense paid two month tour.

http://seriosound.com/OurArtists.aspx