Spotlighting Indigenous voices

In observance of Native American Heritage Month–a time to honor the contributions Indigenous people have made to the United States– I wanted to spotlight four brilliant Indigenous musical artists/groups. It is far too often that the context in which Indigenous peoples are spoken about is historical, one that ignores contemporary Native culture, art, and activism. These artists range in musical genres, tribes, and backgrounds but are joined together in creating art that captures the beauty and sorrow that is a part of the indigenous existence. 

A Tribe Called Red: This Canadian electronic DJ trio fuses together elements of hip hop, dub-step, and First Nations music to create a sound that is full of history and emulates the urban native American experience. I found out about this group while reading Tommy Orange’s “There, There.”

Buffy Saint-Marie: Buffy Anne Marie is an Indigenous Canadian-American singer-songwriter, activist, and composer. In the ’60s and ’70s, Marie was known for her folksy, Joni Mitchell-esque sound, many of her songs becoming anti-war anthems. In 1981 she became the first Indigenous woman to win an Oscar for Best Original Song. 

Karen Dalton: Karen Dalton is a half-Cherokee, half-Irish singer-songwriter who is often compared to Billie Holiday for her rich and melancholy vocals, but with a unique grittiness that is especially sorrowful. The songwriter did not have an easy life and is remembered as a mysterious and mesmerizing soul. Bob Dylan once mentioned her in his memoir, Chronicles: Volume I, reminiscing on sitting in the famous MacDougal Street folk venue Café Wha? calling her his “favorite singer in the place.”

Jessie Ed Davis: Davis is a session guitarist of the late ’60s and early ’70s  who was featured in albums by icons such as Niel Diamond and John Lennon. Davis has released three solo albums and played guitar and piano on several of Taj Mahal’s albums. His sound is full of soul and passion, often singing about his experience growing up in Oklahoma and experiencing heavy prejudice for his Native ancestry. He tragically died at age 43 but leaves behind the legacy of being the “guitar hero’s guitar hero.”

Written by Daniella Ivanir