Native Anthropology: “Challenge, Choice and Promise in the 21st Century,” is the latest CD by Blackfoot historian, songwriter, poet, and troubadour Jack Gladstone. The CD has been nominated for two Native American Music Awards: Best Folk Recording and Best Historical Linguistic Recording. In addition, Gladstone is a candidate for Songwriter of the Year.
The Native American Music Awards will be presented on October 7 in Niagara Falls, NY. People can visit their website and vote for the awards. The votes are a part of determining who wins each category.
The CD includes a fairly wide variety of musical styles and incorporates the use of Native American flutes, Native American hand drum, the mandolin, the bouzouki, the autoharp, the Dobro, the fiddle, the cello, the saxophone, the organ, the Shakuhachi flute, guitars, bass, and percussion. Songs include gospel style, 1960s country-western, and retro 1950s she bop. More than 100 people contributed to the making of the album, ranging from well-known recording artists such as R. Carlos Nakai and Will Clipman, to school choirs, and Greg and Rick at AM Muffler (vehicle tuning for Wide Track Pontiac).
Note: Although I heard Jack sing many of these songs in an informal setting (including his dining room) while he was composing them, hearing them on the CD with the other musicians adds another dimension.
Jack’s songs incorporate American Indian histories (often the stories which are not in the standard history books), traditional Indian mythology, and contemporary social practices (such as consumerism, shopping, coffee drinking, etc.)
The nomination for Best Historical Linguistic Award was driven by “Remembering Private Charlo.” Louis Charlo, a descendent of Chief Charlo of the Bitterroot Salish in western Montana, was among the first Marines to raise the American flag on Mount Suribachi, Iwo Jima, during World War II. He was killed a few days later. Gladstone is well-known for incorporating little-known American Indian histories into both his CDs and his concerts.
The other cuts on this CD are listed below. I have included some of the lyrics as well. While Gladstone has a beautiful singing voice, he is also an outstanding poet.
Native Anthropology:
Carbon Pandoraʼs warming up the atmosphere
Denialʼs soaring
Scotty beam us out of here!
Wolves of Ice and Snow: Jack’s rendition of a traditional Blackfoot story—
The day was young, the sky full of Sun
Crystal rivers shivered in the Earth’s backbone
When Old Man heard the comforting words
Of the Wolves singin’ high, dancin’ low
Fossil Fuel Sinner (done in a gospel style):
“Repent, Repent! You Fossil Fuel Sinner
Repent, Repent! You fossil fuel slave
So park your car, spread the word, carry the news, near and far
Repent, Repent! Fossil Fuel Sinner”
I was roaring down the Interstate in my petro-holic Chevrolet
smilin’ at the progress made in our jungle of consumption
Piously, I blew on past a Prius car, sippin’ gas
cussin’ and a fussin’ at his go slow speed
Chapel of Sea
Daily Grind (a good one for coffee lovers):
Through the steel and concrete jungle of our
rendition through the 21st century
We drive or shuffle to the counter or the
window where we order triple mocha lattes
Through the thick heavy cream and
non-fat milk, “I think the kitty’s purring”
are we designed to stand in line for the processing
Two Flag Songs
Wild Turkey
Wide Track Pontiac
The wide track Pontiac is shown above.
Rainbow Medley
Providence Ferry
Kaptain Amerikan:
Total Korporate freedom is Korporatocracy.
I’ll stage a koup if you don’t agree.
But should I ever surrender to the light,
I could reign in the Reich.
So tell me who I am. Take command of
Kaptain Amerikan.
Conspicuous Consumption
I drive a ten piston SUV
down the lane labeled HOV
my best friend Barbie is by my side
I blow her up for the ride
Restless, Irritable & Discontent
Native Anthropology is Gladstone’s 15th CD. In his concerts, Gladstone spends time educating his audience about American Indians and their histories, as well as singing songs.
For more about Jack Gladstone’s music, check out his website.
Cross Posted at Native American Netroots
An ongoing series sponsored by the Native American Netroots team focusing on the current issues faced by American Indian Tribes and current solutions to those issues.