AIROS Native Network's blog

Gary Farmer is of the Cayuga nation and Wolf Clan of the Haudenosaunee/Iroquois Confederacy. He co-starred in the Native films "Pow-wow Highway" and "Smoke Signals". He also co-starred with Johnny Depp in the independent film "Dead Man". Gary is also musically-inclined and formed a blues band called "Gary Farmer and the TroubleMakers".

Gary and his band were in Lincoln, NE for a performance and he stopped by the offices of NAPT to talk with Brendan McCauley (Project Coordinator). They talk about how the blues influenced Gary musically, his acting career and his experience in Native media.

For more information about Gary Farmer and the Troublemakers log-on to their myspace page. AIROS top 5 picks from Gary Farmer and the Troublemakers.

"Make a Change" (Make a Change)
"Troublemaker" (Make a Change)
"Built For Comfort" (Album Unknown)
"This Is Hip" (Album Unknown)

Interview with Gary | Gary Farmer's Myspace Page | Gary Farmer and The Troublemaker's MySpace Page | Native Sounds Podcast Page

Lincoln, NE - On this edition of Native Sounds-Native Voices (NS-NV) co-hosts Aden (Sioux) and Alex continue their Native Folk Rock Show. They kicked off this edition with actress and Grammy-winner Joanne Shenandoah. She is from the Iroquois Nation and has won a multitude of awards.

Among Ms. Shenandoah, Aden and Alex included Floyd Red Crow Westerman and Jack Gladstone. As far as Native Folk Rock, these artists top any playlist. Check out this playlist and remember to tune-in to the live broadcast of NS-NV every Thursday morning from 8 – 10 a.m. CT log-on to www.KZUM.org and www.AIROS.org.

Blog by Tobias Grant

"I Walk the Line" (A Tribute to Johnny Cash) Floyd Red Crow Westerman
"Diana and James" (Diana and James) Greg Copeland
"Treading Waters" (Crimson Tide) Dwayne Pamajewon
"Book of Love" (Memories and Daydreams) Red Blaze
"Good George" (Where the Green Grass Grows) The Crow Girls
"Blessings" (Believe) Michael Bucher
"We Belong" (Identity) Medicine Dream
"Before Tomorrow's Today" (Wiciwen Apic-Mahwaew) Wade Fernandez
"Old Meadow Hightree" (Noble Heart) Jack Gladstone
"Semiah" (Just Where I'm At) George Leach
"Forever I'm with  You" (Hang On) Plateros
"Mussingee" (Best of Winston Wuttunee) Winston Wuttunee
"This is Me" (This is Me) Sunny Waters

LINCOLN, NE - On this edition of Native Sounds-Native Voices (NS-NV) co-hosts Aden (Sioux) and Alex feature contemporary Native folk songs about Animals. Native American Tribes like the Cherokee Nation of North Carolina have creation stories that feature Animals bringing life to this world among other stories. Other stories, like ones about coyote, have a lesson to be learned from. Coyote is a trickster, he does things the wrong way to show humans what not to do and why.In this playlist, Aden and Alex feature songs that have an Animal name in the song title or the song is about an Animal. Have you heard the story about the lonely Frog?

Once there was a Frog, he was lonely so he went to speak with a Medicine Man about his loneliness. The Medicine Man told Frog that he would soon find a girl that wants to know everything about him. Frog replied”wow”, where will I meet her? Frog asks, at a party? Down by the pond? The Medicine Man replied, no, next semester in her biology class. Listen to the live broadcast of Native Sounds-Native Voices every Thursday mornings from 8-10 a.m. C.T. Log-on to www.KZUM.org and www.AIROS.org.

Blog by Tobias Grant

“Thundersbirds” (Freedom) Chester Knight and the Wind
“Monkey Paw” (Mohawk Stomp) Jimmy Wolf
“Wind Eagle” (The Keepers of the Earth) Red Feather Woman
“The Wolf Cried” (Southern Exposure) Tiger Tiger
“Blue Coyote” (Blue Coyote) Jackie Tice
“Raven in the Snow” (Raven in the Snow) Bill Miller
“Scattered Wings” (Burden of Joy) Clinton J. Miller
“Little Molly” (Siskabush) Art Napolean
“Eagle in the Distance” (See You at the Knee) Tony Palmer and the Breeds
“I’m the Wolf” (Jimmy Wolf) Jimmy Wolf
“Pink Flamingos” (Crazy Woman Mountain) Gary Small & the Coyote Brothers
“Reservation Dog” (Reservation Dog) PeaceMaker
“Dizzy Dog” (Just Where I’m At) George Leach

LINCOLN, NE - On this edition of Native Sounds-Native Voices (NS-NV) co-hosts Aden (Sioux) and Alex feature a Native Folk Rock Show. Native Americans have many oral stories, so folk rock music is like second nature for us. In this playlist Aden and Alex include artists like Darrel Tonemah, Jim Boyd and Buffy Sainte Marie among other tremendous Native artists. Did you know, Darrel Tonemah was a professor at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln? Yeah, and Jim Boyd released “Reservation Blues” as a soundtrack for Native author--Sherman Alexie. In fact, director Chris Eyre’s feature film “Smoke Signals” is a story based on Sherman Alexie’s book “The Lone Ranger and Tonto Fist Fight in Heaven."  For more information about Jim Boyd, log-on to his myspace page at myspace.com/jimboydband.

Tune into Native Sounds-Native Voices every Thursday morning from 8 – 10 a.m. CT and on the web at www.KZUM.org and  www.AIROS.org.

Blog by Tobias Grant

“Coming After Me” (Coup Stick Warrior) The Acoustic Warriors
“Breath of the Earth” (A Tribute to Hawk Little John) Jim Beer and The River
“Unfamiliar Love Song” (Welcome to Your Rainy Day) Tonemah
“Still This Love Goes On” (Running For The Drum) Buffy Sainte-Marie
“Chasing Bird” (Chronicles of Hope) Bill Miller
“Makes Me Proud” (Live at The Met) Jim Boyd with Alfonso Kolb
“What is an Indian” (Two Worlds, Three Worlds) A. Paul Ortega
“Drums” (Bitter Tears: Sacred Ground) Joanne Shenandoah and Michael Bucher
“World Without Tomorrow” (Going Back: Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow) Floyd Red Crow Westerman
“Seventh Generation” (Firecat of Discord) Firecat of Discord
“Wide Open Spaces” (Wild Band of Indians) Keith Secola
“Keyah” (Touch the Sweet Earth) Sharon Burch
“My Angel” (New Light of Day) Harrison Begay
“John Doe” (Blue Stone) The Blue Stone Project

LINCOLN, NE - On this edition of Native Sounds-Native Voices (NS-NV) co-hosts Aden (Sioux) and Alex featured a special Halloween show. They included the always awesome Blacklodge Singers. Aden and Alex featured “Monster Mash" and “Scooby Doo” by the Blacklodge Singers, among other great Halloween jams. This show is a fan favorite and sure will put any trick or treater in the Halloween spirit.  

My favorite song from the playlist is “The Windego” by Brook Monkman. The Windego is a spirit that enters into a human and together they consume the flesh of the living. Stories of the Windego go back to the Inca civilization. Listen to this song and other crazy Halloween songs from NS-NV every Thursday morning from 8-10 a.m. C.T. Log-on to www.KZUM.org and www.AIROS.org.

Blog by Tobias Grant

"Monster Mash" (Kid's Pow-wow Songs) Blacklodge
"Scooby Doo" (More Kid's Pow-wow Songs) Blacklodge
"The Witch Queen of New Orlean's" (Greatest Hits) Redbone
"Monsters of the World Unite" (Meet the Diva) Arigon Starr
"Eugene Tooms is Dead" (Meet the Diva) Arigon Starr
"I Scare Myself" (Circle) Keith Secola
"ND Waza Bat" (Circle) Keith Secola
"Skinwalker" (Music For the Native Americans) Robbie Robertson & The Red Road Ensemble
"Skinwalker's Moon" (Music From a Painted Cave) Robert Mirabal
"The Windego" (Single) Brook Monkman
"Revenge of the Dead/ Dark Woman" (Seminole Fire: Legends & Stories) Jim Billie
"The Story of the Giants" (The Lakota Way) Joseph M. Marshall III

Robert Mirabal is a Taos Pueblo member. He was born and raised on the Taos Pueblo. He is a two-time Grammy winner, flute maker, composer and painter. He has dedicated his life to living a traditional lifestyle. That means he lives without electricity, running water and grows his own food. Tobias Grant, production assistant, interviewed Robert Mirabal. Roberts talks about his music, growing up on the Taos Pueblo and cultural aspects of his life. Included in this blog are the top 5 songs from Robert Mirabal.

For more information about Robert Mirabal log-on to his website www.mirabal.com or follow him on social network myspace at www.myspace.com/robertmirabalband.

Robert is also featured in the DVD For the Generations: Native Story & Performance which can be found at visionmaker.org

"The Dance" (Music From a Painted Cave)
"1,000 Miles" (Music From a Painted Cave)
"Whitehorse Dreaming" (Johnny Whitehorse)
"Tony & Allison" (Mirabal)
"Eikos Shaman" (The Story of Land)

Interview with Robert | Robert's web page | Native Sounds podcast | Robert's myspace page

Lincoln, NE - This edition of Native Sounds-Native Voices (NS-NV) co-hosts Aden (Sioux) and Alex bring the best in contemporary Native music. In the ‘70s a lot of political activism was going on through the country. For example, there were the hippies and their message of free love to the Black Panther movement. Native Americans were also involved with protests for civil rights. Alcatraz was a starting point for Native students from Berkley University to protest broken Native American treaties. Native leaders like John Trudell and Mitch Walking Elk have turned their passion into a musical art form.

This playlist includes great Native music like Black Fire, Robbie Robertson and American Indian Movement members John Trudell and Mitch Walking Elk. Listen to the live broadcast of NS-NV every Thursday morning from 8-10 a.m. C.T. on www.KZUM.org and www.AIROS.org. Also, check out the documentary about John Trudell from www.visionmaker.org. Another great documentary about civil rights from visionmaker is For the Rights of All: Ending Jim Crow in Alaska.

Blog by Tobias Grant

"The Sweat" (Crazy Maker) Marcel Gagnon
"Showdown at Big Sky" (Robbie Robertson) Robbie Robertson
"What Do You See" (One Nation Under) Blackfire
"Wild Indians" (Wild Indians) The Gary Small Band
"In the Heartland Tonight" (Can You Hear Me) Tonemah
"Spirit Flies" (Spirit Flies) Leonard Adam
"Undercurrent" (Bone Days) John Trudell
"Don't Forget About Me" (Seven) Michael Bucher
"Down Around Sante Fe" Roger Cultee
"Someone to Believe In" (Peace From the Everglades) Tiger Tiger
"You Don't Have to Say a Thing" (Time for a Woman) Mitch Walking Elk
"Seventh Son" (Make a Change) Gary Farmer and the Troublemakers

Lincoln, NE - On this edition of Native Sounds-Native Voices Aden (Sioux) and Alex are in the mood for songs about good ol frybread. They featured songs that are about awesome tasty frybread. These songs are hilarious in a cheesy sort of way.

Frybread is not a traditional part of Native Americans' diet. When we were put on Reservations was when frybread was discovered. With all the right ingredients frybread has become a well-known food item to try at any Pow-wow or Native social gathering. Native people have found humor in frybread and this playlist pokes fun at it.

Also included in the playlist are the 1970’s Native rock band XIT. XIT was the unofficial rock band of A.I.M. (American Indian Movement) during their political protests for Native American rights. Today, musicians like Micki Free and Native group Indigenous lead the way for Native American music. NS-NV is proud to bring all these awesome Native artists together for a couple hours a week during the live broadcast of NS-NV. Listen live to NS-NV every Thursday morning from 8–10 a.m. C.T. on www.AIROS.org and www.KZUM.org.

Blog by Tobias Grant

"Frybread" (Wild Band of Indians) Keith Secola
"Junior Frybread" (Wind-Up) Arigon Starr
"Frybread Line" (Going to the Stick Games) Jim Boyd 
"Frybread" (Rainy) Blackhawk Blues Band
"1492 Who Found Who" (1492 Who Found Who) Murray Porter
"Christopher Columbus" (Without Reservation) XIT
"Wounded Knee" (American Horse) Micki Free
"Music is the Medicine" (Music is the Medicine) Derek Miller
"My Mind is Ramblin" (I've Been Driftin From Door to Door) Jimmy Wolf
"Dizzy Dog" (Just Where I'm At) George Leach
"Changin" (Hang On) The Plateros
"Now That You're Gone" (Things We Do) Indigenous
"Mailbox Blues" (Love Songs & Other Issues) Gary Farmer and the Troublemakers
"Truck Stop Cheii" (Sacred Stage) James Bilagody

Lincoln, NE - On this edition of Native Sounds-Native Voices (NS-NV) Aden (Sioux) and Alex put together a playlist of Native Reggae and Hip Hop music. Native Americans are recognized for their flute music but the implementation of the drum in Native culture goes back for centuries. For example, in the Native American Church participants incorporate a water drum and a rattle. This practice dates back to before Columbus’s arrival. The drum beat in Reggae and Hip Hop is a contemporary version of the beats and rhythms from pre-colonial America. A couple of the Native artists in this playlist have songs with some sort of message in their music and other artists in this playlist have won awards from music organizations like the Native American Music Awards and Aboriginal Peoples Choice Awards in Canada. Artists such as Joey Stylez who is nominated for Male Entertainer of the Year by the Aboriginal Peoples Choice Awards, is a Hip Hop artist became a business owner when he started his own record label. He knows what life is like on the Reservation and is determined to represent his people in a positive way. Recently, I interviewed Joey Stylez about his upbringing, his music and his business ventures. Be sure to listen to the live broadcast of NS-NV every Thursday morning from 8-10 a.m. C.T. on the web at KZUM.org and AIROS.org.

*Tobias Grant

“Heaven” (Home of the Brave) Martha Redbone
“Strong & Beautiful” (We Are) Digging Roots
“Mother Earth” (Injunuity)Julian B.
“Go Back” (Indian Rezervation Blues and More) Leilani
“Kool Runnin” (The Black Star) Joey Stylez
“Honor the People” (Honor The People) Casper Loma-da-wa
“Need You” (Northern Lights) Buddaz N Stephen
“Fifty Cents" (All Together Here) Lunar Drive
“Native Dance Hall” (Rain Us Love) Native Roots
“Honey Be” (When Worlds Collide) Red Earth

Lincoln, NE - On this edition of Native Sounds-Native Voices (NS-NV) Aden (Sioux) and Alex featured a playlist of Hand Game songs.  The Hand Game has been a part of Native American culture for more than two centuries. Lewis and Clark were the first to document the games during their expedition through Idaho. Native Americans use the Hand Games as an ice breaker when tribes host social gatherings. Since then, the Hand Game has remained a part of the Native American culture. The Hand Games are played with two teams or two people, one person will hide the bone in one hand and the other person will guess which hand is hiding the bone in it. Someone else will keep score and a couple of other people will keep an eye out for cheating. Today the Hand Games are an opportunity for Native Americans to come together, socialize and have a great time. Co-hosts Aden and Alex found a few traditional Hand Game songs and some contemporary Hand Game songs from Native artists. For more information about the Hand Game log-on to visionmaker.org and check out the trailer from “Hand Game”. Also listen live to NS-NV on the web at http://kzum.org/ and http://airos.org/ every Thursday morning from 8 – 10 a.m. C.T.

"Paiute Song" (Stick Games of the Paiute) Judy Trejo
"Stick Gambling Rock" (Kehlonn) Jerry Alfred and the Medicine Beat
"Going to the Stick Games" (Going to the Stick Games) Jim Boyd
"Stick Game Coyote Story" (Going to the Stick Games) Jim Boyd
"Coyote Falls in Love" (Legends: I Am An Eagle) Gloria Eshkibok
"How the Raccoon Got Its Mask" (Seminole Fire: Legends & Stories) Jim Billie
"This Land" (Native Americana- A coup Stick) Keith Secola
"Lewis and Clark's Traveling Magical Show" (Buffalo Republic) Jack Gladstone
"Indian Love Song" (Journey to the Spirit World) Buddy Red Bow
"Bury My Heart At Wounded Knee" (Up Where We Belong) Buffy Sainte-Marie
"Honor Me" (Wind-Up) Arigon Star
"Combustible" (One in Every Crowd) Tonemah
"Should I Stay" (The Acoustic Sessions) Indigenous
"Blue Sunday" (Running For The Drum) Buff Saint-Marie
"Waitin' On the Lord" (Chronicles of Hope) Bill Miller
"Troublemaker" (Make A Change) Gary Farmer and the Troublemakers