tgrant's blog

Erika Archer is from the Meherrin Tribe of North Carolina. She was born and raised in Fort Washington, Maryland. Erika started dancing when she was young and began to take classes in dance. Erika would continue to dance and join up with G-n-C Crew, which is a dance crew out of the Washington, Maryland, Virgina metro area (DMV). G-n-C is a hip hop dance crew, Erika would also be involved with Kevin Locke's dance troop and travel with his performing art ensemble.

Erika holds a Bachelors Degree in Anthropology and was hired to work for the Governement. She was offered a once in a lifetime opportunity to dance with "Dancing Earth". Erika is doing what she enjoys and she also teaches dance at a couple of dance studios in New Mexico. Recently, I interviewed Erika, we talk about her experience in hip hop dance crews, her education and her opportunity to perform with "Dancing Earth".

Interview with Erika | Facebook Page | Dancing Earth Website | Dancing Earth Facebook Page | Music Courtesy of N.S.E.

I had the opportunity to interview Frank Blythe, who is my grandpa and Founding Executive Director of Native American Public Telecommunications, Inc. (NAPT), as well as my mom, Francine Blythe, who is Executive Director of the National Geographic All Roads Film Project. The three of us were in Albuquerque, New Mexico, at the same time and we got together for a cookout.

I remember watching screenings of Native films and documentaries as a young kid. I understood that grandpa was the Executive Director of NAPT, but I did not know the details of his work. In school, I was learning about the mainstream history of Native Americans but at home, I was learning about the other half of our survival.

My mom was interested in theatre and I can remember a time when she was a part of a traveling Native play ensemble. Later, she would have roles as extras in various film projects. I thought that film and theatre were her and grandpa’s thing and at that time, I did not have the desire to study film or theatre.

When I was hired as a Production Assistant at NAPT, I realized the significance and impact that Native media has to offer. After starting at NAPT, I began to co-host two Native American radio programs--Native Sounds Native Voices and The Drum--on 89.3 FM (KZUM) in Lincoln, Neb. When I proposed the idea of a conversation between the three of us, my grandpa and mom were both enthusiastic about the idea. This is the interview from our conversation from April 2011.

Short Version | Extended Version | NAPT Fan Page | All Roads Film Project

J-Sav is an Omaha tribal member and a founding member of the Native Hip Hop group Savage Family. The group formed while members where attending Haskell Indian Nations University in Lawrence, KS. J-Sav earned a bachelors degree and continues to create music. J-Sav started to build an interest in Hip Hop in high school and free-styling. While attending Haskell J-Sav began to understand the struggle of the Assimilation of Indians into the mainstream.

Savage Family promotes a faceless movement because they represent a message of unity instead of individuality. J-Sav’s involvement with Savage Family encouraged him to follow the Red Road and promote a substance free lifestyle. J-Sav has an ability to create lyrics that is parallel to poetry as well as carrying a message in the song. Tobias (Omaha, Dakota, Dineh, Cherokee) and Jessica (Paiute, Bannock, Washo) co-hosts of The Drum interviewed J-Sav in the studio, they talk about Savage Family, Haskell and his transformation. Check out the live broadcast of The Drum every Sunday from 630-8pm CT on the web at www.kzum.org and follow them on facebook at www.FaceBook.com/TheDrum402 and at www.MySpace.com/TheDrum402.

Interview with J-Sav Part One | Part Two | Savage Family Reverb Nation Page | FaceBook Page | MySpace Page

Gabriel Night Shield is from the Rosebud Reservation in South Dakota. He began his record company ten years ago and he has released three solo projects. When he first got into the rap game, South Dakota’s hip hop scene was just beginning. Since then, Night Shield has seen the hip hop scene almost explode into a recognizable underground scene. Night Shield Entertainment has been the driving force behind the movement. 

Night Shield has won music awards from the various Native American music organizations and he has performed at all of their award ceremonies. His music comes from his personal experiences and tribulations and it is not glorifying the mainstreams stereotypical hard core rap. Instead, he writes about life growing on the Rosebud Reservation and similar experiences one encounters surrounded by life there.

I (Tobias Grant\ Omaha, Sisseton, Dineh, Eastern Cherokee) recently interviewed Night Shield and we discuss his music, his record label and how to survive in the underground hip hop scene in South Dakota. For more information about Night Shield visit his social networking web pages and purchase his music from iTunes.

Night Shield FaceBook | Night Shield MySpace | Night Shield on iTunes

Once a year Father's are recognized for all their hard work. Tobias (Omaha, Dakota, Navajo, Cherokee) and Jessica (Paiute, Washo, Bannock) wanted to honor all the Father's with a Father's Day playlist. We included Hand Drum, Harmonized Songs of the Native American Church, Pow-wow and even War Dance Celebration songs. "The War Dance is not necessarily celebrating the taking of a life, but pride in the tribe's good medicine. The dance they perforned was a celebration of their good fortune as members of a family, a society, a clan and a tribe. It is a dance based in pride."
-    From Liner Notes for Night Hawk, War Dance Songs,  Arbor Records, 2003
We hope all the Fathers and Grandfathers out there enjoyed their day and this playlist is especially for you. Listen to "The Drum" live every Sunday night from 7 p.m-9 p.m. (C.D.T.) on 89.3 FM KZUM in Lincoln, NE, or on the web at KZUM.org and at AIROS.org. Contact "The Drum" co-hosts at their myspace page, just click on the link here: myspace.com/thedrum402

"Grand Entry Song" (Live at Long Plains) - Grey Buffalo
"Flag Song" (Grandparents' Spirit) - Standing Eagle
"Honor Song" (High Mountain Singers) - High Mountain Singers
"Veterns Song" (Wahusenakah Singers) - Wahusenakah Singers
"War Dance Song" (War Dance Songs) - Night Hawk
"Make Way For the Gentleman" (Feel the Thunder) - Arawak Mountain Singers
"Swing & Sway The Old Man's Way" (Evolution) - Mystic River
"Please Dad! Lauren Merrick" (Evolution) - Mystic River
"Rodeo" (Way of Life) - Lakota Thunder
"Traveling Man" (Chicken Dance Songs) - Various Artists
"Men's Chicken Dance" (Chicken Dance Songs) - Various Artists
"Thank You Grandfather" (Thunder and Rain) - Primeaux and Skyhorse
"You For Dad" (Northern Cree and Friends: Round Dance Songs Recorded Live) - Eya-Hey-Nakoda
"Daddy's Coming Home" (Northern Cree and Friends Vol.6 Calling All Dancers) - Whitefish Jr's
"A Warrior's Song" (Shake it Up) - Gray Horse Singers
"Warrior Boy" (Dance In Beauty) - Indian Creek
"A Warrior's Dream" (Drummer Boy) - Davis Mithcell
"Warrior's Call" (Northern Cree & Friends Vol. 7 ) - Jerry Dreaver
"Your the One" (Round Dance Songs: Good Ol' NDN Lovin) - Pipestone
"Men's Fancy Dance" (Live From the Rez) - Battle River
"Intertribal Song" (He Sapa Wacipi Honoring the Third Circle) - Bad Nation
"Traditional Song" (New Years at Porcupine) - Porcupine Singers
"Southern Man" (Harmony Nights) - Alex Smith, Cheevers Toppah & Kit Landry
"Lil Sun" (Round Dance Blues) - Randy Wood

Tobias (Omaha, Dakota, Cherokee, Navajo) and Jessica (Bannock, Washo, Paiute) changed things up a little bit on "The Drum".As we all know by now, "The Drum" has a profile page on myspace. So,they featured some drum groups that are friends with "The Drum" from myspace. The drum groups with profiles can post their music on myspace and users can preview those songs or add the song to a profile page. Myspace is an awesome social networking site to stay connected with "The Drum" and "AIROS". Enjoy and tune in every Sunday from 7 p.m.-9 p.m. (CDT) to hear the live broadcast and also on the web at KZUM.org and AIROS.org.

"Grand Entry" (The Boyz Live) - The Boyz
"Flag and Victory Song" (Word Up) - Young Bird
"Intertribal" (Have Drum Will Travel-Pow -wow songs recorded live in Siksika) - High Noon
"Movin Fast" (Lightning Strikes) - Lightning Strikes
"One For Elroy" (Big River Crossing) - Ottertrail
"Intertribal" (Live in Ponemah) - Young Kingbird
"Eastern Straight" (Gathering of Nations Pow -Wow 2009) - Bear Creek
"Owl Dance" (Traditional Blackfoot Owl Dance Songs) - The Siksika Nation
"Our Land" (Family) - Medicine Tail
"Sac n Fox with Omaha Lodge" (Urban Crew) - Urban Crew
"Drum Song" (Dakota Hotain) - Dakota Hotain
"The Traveler" (Pow-Wow Songs Recorded Live At Samson) - Northern Cree
"Soaring Eagle" (Soaring Eagle) - Soaring Eagle
"49er Song" (49er Songs Volume 01) - Poor Boys
"Beatiful Way" (Sacred Fire) - Chenoah
"Pretty Dancer" (For All Eternity) -  Tódó Neesh Zhee Singers
"A Round Dance Song" (Walking The Red Road) - Earl Bullhead
"Hopi Colwn Dance" ( Hopi Social Dance Songs) - Traditional Hopi Singers
"Hand Drum Song" ( Champion Hand Drum Songs) - The Tribe
"Soilder Boy" ( American Warriors) - Black Lodge
"Now we're Through" (Movin On) - Rose Hill Singers
"Intertribal" (Home of the Champions) - Meskwaki Nation
"Pawnee Slide" (Buffalo Horse Singers) - Buffalo Horse Singers
"Gourd Dancer" (Spirit Journey) - Cornell Pewewardy

World War II Memorial

"The Drum" dedicated a show to honor veterans from Indian Country. Tobias (Omaha, Dakota, Navajo, Cherokee) and Jessica (Paiute, Bannock, Washo) created a playlist filled with honor songs for our veterans. Memorial Day is reserved for the last monday in May and this year "The Drum" showed some love to Native veterans from Indian Country by not only playing these tunes, but also reading some shout-outs to some of the Native veterans. In addition to the honor songs, the playlist includes Harmonized Peyote/Prayer Songs of the Native American Church--to honor the brave soldiers who gave their lives protecting our Native homelands. "The Drum" dedicated this two hour special to all veterans in appreciation to those who served our country. To listen to the show live, log-on to AIROS.org or KZUM.org every Sunday night from 7-9 p.m. (C.T.) Also check "The Drum's" myspace page at www.myspace.com/thedrum402. For more info about Natives in the military check out the AIROS Memorial Day playlist from the blog page.

"Grand Entry" (Making Grand Entry) - Red Blanket Singers
"Flag Song" (Live@ Fort Washakie) - Pipestone
"Veteran Song" (Volume 10) - Northern Wind
"Traveling This Earth" (Way of LIfe) - Lakota Thunder
"Intertribal" (Yellow Jacket) - Yellow Jacket
"Intertribal" (myspace page profile) - Standing Horse
"Intertribal" (The Drums of Indian Summer Festival) - Raining Thunder
"Straight Song" (Gather the People) - Red Bull Singers
"Veterans Song" (On the Oregon Trail) - Blackstone
"Memorial Song of the Veterns" (Live at Red Earth) - Omaha Whitetail
"Honoring All People" (Straight Up Northern) - Blackeagle
"Victory Dance" (Straight Up Northern) - Blackeagle
"Honor Song" (Family Songs) - Otter Trail
"Teepee Creepin" (Good Ol' Fashioned NDN Lovin') - Pipestone
"Black Hills Song" (Keeper of the Drum) - Earl Bullhead
"Four Ponca Songs" (Peyote Songs of the Native American Church)
   - McCellan, Robedeaux & Stoner
"Four Peyote Songs" (Life Giver) - Thomas Duran, Jr
"Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star" (Kid's Pow-Wow Songs) - Blacklodge Singers
"Veteran Song" (Songs of the Omaha) - Omaha Singers
"Indian Boys from Desert Storm" (American Warrior) - Blacklodge Singers
"Ponca Song" (Family Songs) - Ottertrail
"Mighty Mouse" (Kid's Pow-Wow Songs) - Blacklodge Singers
"Did You See That Girl" (Northern Lights) - Buddaz & Stevens

Tobias (Omaha, Dakota, Navajo, Cherokee) & Jessica ( Paiute, Bannock) honored this year's graduating Native students with Honor songs. No more late night study sessions, exams and no more snow days. For those high school students we hope its off to college in the fall. However, The Drum supports the efforts of those Natives who have earned their diplomas & degrees. They are an inspiration to all Native people and we hope good wishes for those graduating this spring. Among the Honor songs include artists like Crazy Horse Singers, Black Eagle and Lakota Thunder.

"Grand Entry Song" (Toronto Pow-wow) - Whitetail Singers
"Flag/Veteran's Song" (Southern California Pow-wow) - Black Eagle Singers
"Omaha Flag Song" (Kickin It Up) - Omaha Whitetail
"Intertribal" (Cozad California Pow-wow) - Cozad
"Intertribal" (Fort Hall Festival) - Sage Point
"Intertribal" (Fort Hall Festival) - The Boyz
"Honoring All People" (Straight Up Northern) - Black Eagle
"We Feel Good in Our Hearts" (From The Heart) - Whitetail Singers
"Everybody's Up DAnceing" (Shake Your Feathers) - White Thunder Singers
"Rick Wright interview"
"Ponca Veteran Song" (Yellow Hammer) - Yellow Hammer Singers
"Warriors of the Past" (Sacred) - Spirit Sand Singers
"Beautiful Dancing Women" (Life Goes On) - Black Eagle Singers
"LIke the Way You Braid My Hair" (Sunrise Love) - Eli Secody
"The Touch of Your Hand" (Round Dance in Beauty) - Jay Begay
"Summer of '83 Blues" (Round Dance in Beauty) - Jay Begay
"Listen to My Drum" (There Are No Good Byes) - Randy Wood
"Wakan Tanka Tokahiya" (Sared Directions) - Earl Bullhead
"Tunkasila Wamayank U We" (Sacrd Directions) - Earl Bullhead
"Movin on with Strength" (The Following Generation) - Eli Secody
"Beauty Way" (The Following Generation) - Eli Secody
"American Warrior" (The Following Generation) - Eli Secody
"End of the Rainbow" (Thunder & Rain) - Primeaux & SkyHorse
"Healing Song of the Native American Church" (Walk in Beauty) - Primeaux & Mike
"Amazing Grace" (Walk in Beauty) - Primeaux & Mike

This year I (Tobias co-host of "The Drum" & "NSNV")  was able to visit "Gathering of Nations" Pow-wow in Albuquerque. The weather was awesome and a lot of beautiful native people. It was hosted outside this year and next year it should be back at "The Pit". Stage 49 was a place to be for contemporary Native artists. And the artists put on a great show, it was like a Native music festival and more!! The venders and art market was also amazing. I think there is something for anyone and everyone. This year I also made it to the "All Nations Skate Jam". It was a positive event and was something for the youth to participate in. I tried skating the half pipe as a teen and I respect them boyz who didn't quit. Albuquerque also offered plenty of resturants and other activities. One weekend was not enough time to do everything. Next year I'm gonna plan and extra day, because three days isn't enough. Anyway, its Pow-wow season and if going to a Pow-wow isn't an option, listen to "The Drum" on AIROS.org every Sunday night from 7-9 p.m. central time. A great place on the web for Pow-wow music with Tobias & Jessica!!

This week in preparation of "Gathering of Nations" Pow-Wow Tobias & Jessica played music from previous years from the Pow-Wow. "Gathering of Nations" is hosted annually and this is the first year that it will be at the U.N.M. stadium, it was previously held at "The Pit". If there was a Pow-wow to go to this would be it. The competitions are very competitve and drums bring their A-game. It is also a great place to meet up with old freinds and new ones. Anyway, here is a play list of drums that have sang at the Pow-Wow. Log onto "The Drum" myspace page. Also listen to the show live every week on KZUM.org & AIROS.org every Sunday from 7 - 9 p.m. (C.T.)

Crazy Horse Singers - "Grand Entry Song"
Spirit Sand Singers "Flag Song"
Spirit Sand Singers "Victory Song"
Buffalo Ted Thunder - "Men's Northern Fancy"
Rock Hill - "Women's Northern Buckskin"
Keres Nation - "Men's nothern Traditional"
Midnight Express - "Women's Fancy"
Wild Band of Comanches - "Jr' Boys Traditional"
Horsetail "Chicken Dance"
Plains Drifter - "Chicken Dance"
High Noon - "Chicken Dance"
Native Thunder "Traditional"
Native Thunder "Intertribal"
Native Thunder "Women's Jingle"
Standing Horse "Standing Horse"
Southern Boys "Hand Drum"
Tha Tribe "Hand Drum"
Battle River "Hand Drum"
Randy Wood "For my Girls"
Randy Wood "Love Hurts"
Alex & Cheevers "Harmony Nights"
Red Stone "Red Stone"
Notrhern Cree "Never Ever"
Tha Tribe "Crow Hip Hop"
The Tribe "Hoop Snappa"
Whitetail "Men's Southern Fancy"
Yound Bird "Women's Southern Buckskin"