Essential Understanding for this Unit
Complements Tribal History/Shared History Essential Understanding # 1: Since Time Immemorial
- Essential Understanding #1: Indigenous peoples have maintained their diverse and dynamic identities through continued practice of their lifeways and artistic expressions. These lifeways adapt and change in response to social, economic, and environmental factors and changes.
- Essential Understanding #2: Indigenous peoples have created music since Time Immemorial, but have often been intentionally excluded from music/arts education despite much contemporary music having Native influences.
- Essential Understanding #3: “Understanding artwork provides insights into individuals’ own and others’ cultures and societies, while also providing opportunities to access, express, and integrate meaning across a variety of content areas.” (Arts CAS Conceptual Framework)
Essential Questions
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- How have Native American cultures and music-making influenced popular music over time?
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- Who was Jim Pepper and why is he important in music history?
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- What genres of music have roots in and connections to Native American music?
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- What instruments and techniques often appear in Native American music?
Logistics
Where does this activity take place? Classroom
How are students organized? Whole class, pairs or trios
Time Required
Depending on school schedule, this can be completed in five 45-minute class periods or three 90-minute class periods.
If using three 90-minute class periods, then Lesson #3 and Lesson #4 can be conflated into one class. Remaining lessons can allow more time for listening to music genre examples, discussions and individual presentations.
Standards
Music Composition and Theory
MU.CT.6.PR3.HS3
“Share live or recorded performances of works (both personal and others’), and explain and/or demonstrate understanding of how the expressive intent of the music is conveyed.”
MU.CT.5.PR2.HS3
“Using established criteria and feedback, identify the ways in which performances use compositional techniques and convey the formal design, style, and historical/cultural context of the works.”
MU.CT.8.RE2.HS2
Develop and support interpretations of varied works, demonstrating an understanding of the composer’s intent by citing the use of elements of music (including form), compositional techniques, and the style/genre and context of each work.
Assessment Outcomes
Students will research a Native American musician and create a slideshow that includes visual imagery and a short example of their music. It should also answer the following questions:
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- What is their tribal heritage(s)?
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- What life experiences have influenced the musician?
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- What historical context or cultural traditions influence their music?
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- What genre(s) of music have they played over time?
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- What instrument(s) does this (these) musician(s) play?
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- How do you think this (these) musicians generate their ideas for their music?
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- What messages do you hear in this artist’s music?
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- What impact has this musician's work had or/intends to have on their society and the field of music?
Overview
This introductory set of lessons will give students a foundational awareness of Native American musicians and their influence on and creation of various music genres. It is important that teachers emphasize and that students can explain that Indigenous peoples have lived on this land since Time Immemorial and that Native people are part of vibrant modern communities. A study of Native American musicians can serve to deepen students' musical comprehension, broaden their awareness of genres, and to “provide insights into individuals’ own and others’ cultures and societies” (Arts CAS Conceptual Framework)
Background for Teachers
“I said I had faith in the students….” By Floy C. Pepper “I was in demand as a speaker for a lot of different occasions. I spoke on equality. I spoke on how to teach Indian students, because they had to be taught differently than other students. I spoke on getting along with people, how you can do that…. “I used to tell people they needed to have group discussions with their students, and people said that when you get Indians in a group they wouldn’t discuss anything. Yet, I could take a group of Indian students and within ten minutes have them all chattering about something. I think I did that by showing belief in them. You have to show your belief in them and trust them to speak. “When presenting the concept of group discussions, I preferred to work with a group of students to demonstrate the technique. I had been told that ‘Indian students do not talk and it would be useless to try to carry on discussions with them.’ I said I had faith in the students….” (Floy describes a demonstration with students before an audience of teachers)
“…The audience was amazed that the students talked freely…It was interesting that the youngsters did not want to leave. I invited them to stay and suggested that we talk about the traditional values of their elders as compared to the values they presently held. They came to the conclusion that they preferred the values of their elders….
“The demonstration was a success. When I got through, I said the audience could ask the students anything they wanted to, but the Indians didn’t have to answer if they didn’t want to. They asked one boy why he answered me and discussed in the group. He said,
‘Well, Mrs. Pepper would have waited on me all day…She wanted to know what I had to say, and she listened and stayed with me until I got it said.’…”
(excerpted from: The Oregon Historical Quarterly, Spring 2006: Oregon Voices: Mutual Respect and Equality: An Advocate for Indian Students in Oregon, by Floy Pepper, with Eliza Elkins Jones)
Senate Resolution honoring Jim Pepper
- Teachers should know that contemporary music has been influenced by Indigenous peoples and many genres of music have roots in Indigenous cultures.
- Learn how Native American influence has reached most genres of music and survived despite genocide and continued oppressive tactics, such as failing to identify artists as Native American.
Some key ideas to be aware of
- Native Americans have lived in all regions of Oregon and North America since Time Immemorial.
- Native American cultural and artistic contributions have often been suppressed and devalued.
- Indigenous peoples have ancient traditions of music-making which have influenced many musical genres.
- Native American musicians create and perform in most genres of music.
- Jim Pepper’s contribution to American jazz music is significant and his blending of Jazz and Native American musical styles is unique.
Materials
- Online access to Speak/Sing Native™ Artist Archive
- List (with links) Native American musician examples for slideshow presentation.
- Projector and Speakers
- Thinking Organizer #1, Thinking Organizer #2, and Thinking Organizer #3 (1 copy of each per student)
- Exit Ticket #1, Exit Ticket #2 (1 copy of each per student)
- Native American Musician Slideshow Assignment Sheet (one copy per student)
- Student access to Google Slides, PowerPoint or similar
- Headphones for students
Before Delivering These Lessons
- Watch/listen to each suggested recording in its entirety.
- Consider using a tool such as SafeShare to provide access to video clips if YouTube is problematic.
- Familiarize yourself with the range of musical genres and the contributions of Native musicians at the Speak/Sing Native Database Archive
- Remember that this unit serves as an introduction but is not intended to be the only exposure music students have to Native American musicians and music.
Unit Learning Targets (In student-friendly language)
- I can recognize that Native American musicians have contributed to and continue to contribute to many genres of music.
- I can describe how musicians are influenced by their social/cultural backgrounds
- I can design and present a slideshow about a Native American musician that answers these questions:
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- What is their tribal heritage(s)?
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- What life experiences have influenced the musician?
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- What historical context or cultural traditions influence their music?
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- What genre/s of music have they played over time?
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- How do you think this (these) musicians generate their ideas for their music?
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- What messages do you hear in this artist’s music?
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