AIROS Native Network's blog

Mother’s Day is one of my favorite holidays! I’m not a mother myself, but I appreciate any excuse to lavish attention and praise upon my mother, not to mention apologize repeatedly for everything she had to put up back in my teenage years (admit it; When you were 15, you thought the adults in your life couldn’t possibly understand you).

In celebration of mothers and grandmothers, Native Sounds-Native Voices has put together a playlist that will hopefully have you looking fondly back on the female figures in your life. When considering Mother’s Day gifts this year, remember that a visit or a phone call will likely be more appreciated than a box of flowers in the mail. (If you still live at home, try washing the dishes...and pay some rent, while you're at it.)

Mother’s Day Playlist

• Young Bird – “For Mom & Dad” [Memories]
• Black Lodge – “For the Mother of Black Lodge” [More Kids’ Powwow]
• Eli Secody – “Love Your Parents” [The Following Generation]
• Bryan Akipa – “Cherished Grandmother” [The Flute Player]
• Ulali – “Mother” [Mahk Jchi]
• Radmilla Cody – “Grandmothers and Mother’s Legacy” [Spirit of a Woman]
• Radmilla Cody – “Grandmother” [The Seed of Life]
• Mary Youngblood – “Grandmother’s Last Sunset” [The Offering]
• Anthony Wakeman – “Mother’s Guidance” [Butterfly Dreams]
• Sharon Burch – “Grandmother’s Way” [Touch the Sweet Earth]
• Elizabeth Hill – “Our Mother” [Peacemaker’s Lullaby]
• Jack Gladstone – “Speak to Me Grandma” [Tappin’ the Earth’s Backbone]
• Jack Gladstone – “Pray for the Mother” [Noble Heart]
• Jim Boyd – “Mother’s Tears” [Live at the Met]

Stay tuned!

Sina Bear Eagle NS-NV co-host

Grab your two-step partner, Native Sounds-Native Voices is playing waila (also called “Chicken Scratch”), the distinctive dance music of the Tohono O’odham people!

The waila tradition comes from a mesh of Indigenous and European roots. The word “waila” is a Tohono O’odham adaptation of the Spanish word “baila” (meaning “he/she dances”) and is used to describe a polka-esque dance reminiscent of Scottish and Polish styles. “Chicken scratch” refers to the tendency of the dancers to kick up their feet, similar to the motions of a chicken scratching at the ground.

Confused yet?

Like all polka, it’s probably best if you don’t think too hard about it. The point is that the music is upbeat, the dance is lively, and waila is just plain fun!

Waila Playlist

• Pima Express – “Crazy Spinning Chicken” [Voice Upon the Wind]
• El Conjunto Murrietta – “Lucia” [Waila!]
  
• Elvin Kelly y Los Reyes – “El Gallo” [Waila!]
• The American Indians – “El Capitan” [Play Waila]
• Pima Express – “You’re Mine” [Time Waits For No One]
• The American Indians – “Oh My Darling Clementine” [Play Waila]
• Los Papagos Molinas – “Buttermilk” [Waila!]
  
• Elvin Kelly y Los Reyes – “Ester” [Waila!]
  
• Mike Enis & Company – “Cholla Polka” [Waila!]
• The American Indians – “Topawa Two-Step” [Play Waila]
• Pima Express – “Rock Bottom Tears” [Time Waits For No One]
• Mike Enis & Company – “To-Hono Polka” [Waila!]
  
• Los Papagos Molinas – “Lizard Dance” [Waila!]

Listen to the program on the AIROS livestream at the following times (All Times ET):
5/5: 8am, 2pm, 8pm
5/9: 11am, 5pm, 11pm
5/13: 10am, 4pm, 10pm

To find out more about waila, check out the documentary Waila! Making the People Happy. You can hear waila, along with other great Native music, by clicking “Listen to Audio” on our list of links. Coming soon is the Thunder Show! (Be prepared to get AC/DC stuck in your head all day without knowing quite why.)

Stay tuned!

SIna Bear Eagle NS-NV co-host

Earth Day is one of the best holidays of spring and who better to discuss the environment than Native Americans? (Don’t say “Al Gore.” He isn’t even a contender until he beats Winona LaDuke in an arm wrestling contest...which he won't, because everyone knows you just don't mess with a strong Ojibwe woman on a mission.)  We're celebrating with music about the Earth, Mother Nature, and an incredible stretch of logic regarding basic semantics ("Poison Ivy" is a type of plant, you know).

Earth Day Playlist

• “Mountain Song,” Star Nayea, Primeaux & Mike [Sacred Ground]
• “Mother Rain,” Walela, Joanne Shenandoah [Sacred Ground]
• “Land of Emergence,” R. Carlos Nakai [Desert Dance]
• “Earth Song,” Elizabeth Hill [Peacemaker’s Lullaby]
• “Natural,” Shelley Morningsong [Out of the Ashes]
• “Above the Mother Earth,” Mary Young Blood [Beneath the Raven Moon]
• “Quiet Season,” Robert Mirabel [Taos Tales]
• “Tappin’ the Earth’s Backbone,” Jack Gladstone [Tappin’ the Earth’s Backbone]
• “Color Nature Gone,” XIT [Silent Warrior]
• “Poison Ivy,” Redbone [Greatest Songs]
• “Earth Walk,” Spirit Nation [Spirit Nation]
• “I Am Water,” Spirit Nation [Spirit Nation]
• “Sacred Ground,” Bill Miller [Sacred Ground]
• “Earth Children,” Walela [Walela]
• “The Land is Your Mother,” Floyd Red Crow Westerman [The Land is Your Mother]

If, to paraphrase “Smoke Signals,” all the hippies were trying to be Indians anyway, than what could possibly be better than an Indian hippie? That’s right; nothing.*

Listen to the Earth Day NS-NV on the livestream during the follow times on
Wed 4/22 (Earth Day, of course): 8am, 2pm and 8pm ET
Fri 4/24 (Arbor Day ... it's a Nebraska thing ... don't ask me, I'm from South Dakota): 11am, 5pm, 11pm ET

Check out the next blog for a recap of our Waila show (Listen live at 10am ET on Thu 4/23). You read that correctly, we've got Native Americans playing polka. You don’t have to understand it, but check it out and you just may like it.

Stay tuned!

Sina Bear Eagle NS-NV co-host

*I reserve the right to refute this statement if Robert Plant, Paul McCartney, Eric Clapton, and David Bowie suddenly go on a worldwide super tour together, playing all their old hits and co-writing new ones, under the group name “Khan’s Revenge.” That could very possibly be better.

It’s that time of the year again! A special time when thousands of tribes from across the land travel south to partake in good music, dancing, and heated debates about the merits of northern and southern style frybread. This year is the 26th annual Gathering of Nations Powwow in Albuquerque, and Native Sounds-Native Voices is celebrating in style.

Included in our current playlist is a small sampling of the many great drum groups that have performed at the gathering. Whether you’re too young to remember some of these performances or old enough to wonder where the years have gone, put on your dancing moccasins and take a spin to these songs.

Gathering of Nations Playlist

• All Host Drums – “Grand Entry” [Gathering of Nations 1991]
• Black Lodge – “Contest Song” [Gathering of Nations 1991]
• Whitefish Jrs – “Trick Song” [Gathering of Nations 1993]
• Stoney Park – “Girls Fancy Dance” [Gathering of Nations 1993]
• Whitefish Bay – “Men’s Traditional” [Gathering of Nations 1993]
• Rose Hill – “Contest Song” [Gathering of Nations 1994]
• Star Society – “Contest Song” [Gathering of Nations 1994]
• Pass Creek – “Contest Song” [Gathering of Nations 1994]
• Gray Horse – “Contest Song” [Gathering of Nations 1995]
• Yellow Hammer – “Contest Song” [Gathering of Nations 1995]
• Six Nations Women Singers – “Contest Song” [Gathering of Nations 1995]
• Blackstone – “Jr. Boy’s Traditional” [Gathering of Nations 2000]
• Tha Tribe – “Men’s Grass Dance” [Gathering of Nations 2000]
• Rock Hill – “Hand Drum” [Gathering of Nations 2008]
• Midnight Express – “Women’s Jingle” [Gathering of Nations 2008]
• Sizzortail – “Men’s Southern Fancy” [Gathering of Nations 2008]

If you’re lucky enough to attend this year’s powwow, get yourself a free AIROS iPod skin. Fellow skins get your iPod skins at Stage 49. Put together by Emergence Productions, Stage 49 will feature comedians and Native artists across North America.

After you pimp your pods (and stumble home from Grahams), don't forget to tune into AIROS.org and Native Sounds-Native Voices.

Listen to the GON NS-NV on the AIROS livestream at the following times:
Fri 4/24: 7am, 1pm, 7pm ET
Sat 4/25: 7am, 1pm, 7pm ET

Sina Bear Eagle NS-NV co-host

 
Remember to take that left turn at Albuquerque! Stay tuned!

Brian Bull (Nez Perce) talks with Don Coyhis (Stockbridge-Munsee Band of Mohicans), founder of White Bison, a wellness group based in Colorado Springs, Colorado. The group is behind a petition drive to get President Obama to officially apologize for how Native Americans were treated in U.S. Government boarding schools. Will President Obama give a formal apology to Native people as nations like Canada and Australia have done recently? Should he?

Listen to the report from Brian Bull from Wisconsin Public Radio.

Then let us know, what you think by posting a comment on this blog post.

In honor of Cher's Birthday, AIROS will be playing non-stop Cher. Yes, you heard right, nothing but Cher, from her early days with Sunny to her late 90's rave music, enjoy her many unique and risque costumes! Listen to AIROS and be amazed by the Diva!

By the way....APRIL FOOLS!!!!

We got you!

Hey loyal listeners, in honor of April Fool's Day,  AIROS will be playing hilarious, humorous and laugh out loud amazing music and shows all day! Tune in anytime and try to challenge yourself from not laughing at our uproarious programming! We dare you! We double dog dare you!

Here are a few songs that will be sure to give you a smile, guaranteed!

April Fool's Day Playlist

• Keith Secola - "Frybread" [Wild Band of Indians]
• Tonemah - "Powwow Snag" [Journal of Misperceptions]
• Arigon Starr - "Junior Frybread" [Wind-up]
• Tiger Tiger - "I Am Indian" [Space Age Indian]
• Joy Harjo - "Had It Up To Here Round Dance" [Native Joy for Real]
• Red Earth - "Honey Be" [When Worlds Collide]
• Black Lodge - "SpongeBob Squarepants" [More Kids' Pow-wow Songs]
• Elk Soldier - "Snakes & Sparklers" [A Soldier's Dream]

 Stay tuned loyal listeners for more surprises and thrills here on Airos!

 P.S. There will be no Cher.

Aden J. Marshall NS-NV co-host

In celebration of Women’s History Month, we recently played a power-hour of songs by female artists. “Power” was definitely the right word, as we started with Walela and Ulali, two all-female groups with strong voices and fun names to say. The set ended with Buffy Sainte-Marie’s “Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee,” proving once again that every song about Wounded Knee is awesome (made-for-TV specials, on the other hand, tend to be hit or miss).

Women's History Month Playlist (Click for CD information)

• Walela – “Cherokee Morning Song” [Walela]
  
• Walela – “Amazing Grace” [Walela]
• Ulali – “Museum Cases” [Mahk Jchi]
  
• Ulali – “All My Relations” [Mahk Jchi]
• Mary Young Blood – “And We Shall Dance” [Beneath the Raven Moon]
• Shelley Morning Song – “Sweet Protection” [Out of Ashes]
• Spirit Nation – “Tipikan (Lullaby)” [Winter Moons]
• Joanne Shenandoah – “Mother of Nations” [Peace of Power]
• Elizabeth Hill – “Earth Song” [Peacemaker’s Lullaby]
• Star Nayea – “Release Me”
• Annie Humphrey – “Lakin’s Flame” [Edge of America]
• Joy Harjo & Poetic Justice – “Letter From the End of the Twentieth Century” [Letter From the End of the Twentieth Century]
• Cherokee Rose – “Still” [Tracks South]
• Jani Lauzon – “Goin’ Wild For You Baby” [Blue Voice New Voice]
• Jana Mashonee ft. Derek Miller – “A Change Is Gonna Come” [Single]
• Arigon Starr – “Agent 49” [Wind-Up]
• Martha Redbone – “Sarsaparilla” [Home of the Brave]
• Rita Coolidge – “Fever” [Greatest Hits]
• Buffy Sainte-Marie – “Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee” [Up Where We Belong]

Listen on the livestream during the following times (All Times ET):
3/31/09: 9am, 3pm, 9pm + other music from these and other great female artists all day long.

Next up: Music for the Iktomi – April’s Fools Day songs.

Stay tuned!

Sina Bear Eagle NS-NV co-host

Today could possibly be the most unlucky and scariest day of the year. Why would that be, you ask? Well, it's Friday the 13th! No, there won't be any crazed serial killer with a machete, but there will be scary music playing all day on AIROS!  We will be featuring some of today's scariest artists, such as the spooky Arigon Starr to the terrifying Black Lodge. So take a listen....if you DARE!!! MUHAHAHAHA!!!

1. Jim Billie - Legend of Kissimmee River/The Snake [Seminole Fire]
2. Jim Billie - Revenge of the Dead/Dark Woman [Seminole Fire]
3. Robert Mirabal - Skinwalker's Moon (Live) [Music From a Painted Cave]
4. Robert Mirabal - Tony & Allison [Mirabal]
5. Tsonakwa - Kuloscap and the Ghost [Echoes of the Night]
6. Keith Secola - I Scare Myself [Circle]
7. Keith Secola - ND Waza Bat [Circle]
8. Arigon Starr - Monsters of the World Unite [Meet the Diva]
9. Arigon Starr - Eugene Tombs is Dead [Meet the Diva]
10. Black Lodge - Monster Mash [Kid's Pow-wow Songs]
11. Black Lodge - Scooby Doo [More Kid's Pow-wow Songs]
12. Redbone - Witch Queen of New Orleans [The Essential REDBONE]
13. Northern Cree - Boo [Here to Stay]

Aden J. Marshall NS-NV co-host

Greetings AIROS listeners!

Last time, we shared a variety of traditional songs to get you in the mood for love.  Our second “love show” had a more contemporary selection, giving us a chance to showcase some of best Native artists in modern music.

In order to share as much great music as possible, we explored a few different genres in this show. We started with Floyd Westerman, who has created and covered a lot of wonderful older styled country music. Indian Country has many great country artists and, after spending some time in that genre, we transitioned into rock music with NS-NV favorites Harrison Begay and George Leach (Aden maintains that these two are long overdue for a tour together).

The show changed pace with Jamie Coon’s hypnotic pop-trance song “Betrayed With a Kiss.” Shortly after, we heard Lunar Drive’s “I’m in Love With a Navajo Boy,” dedicated to Dine baseball star, Jacoby Ellsbury, from me and countless other baseball fans. James Bilagody & The Cremains displayed the best use of voice distortion software by natives since Cher, and we finished up the show with our theme of the month, “Snaggin’,” by Arigon Starr.

Love Show #2 (Click for CD information)

• Floyd ‘Red Crow’ Westerman – "Give My Love to Rose" [A Tribute to Johnny Cash]
• Buddy Red Bow – "Indian Love Song" [Journey to the Spirit World]
• Chester Knight & the Wind – "Love Me Strong" [Freedom]
• Harrison Begay – "Baby With A Golden Smile" [A New Light of Day]
• George Leach – "Making Love" [Just Where I'm At]
• Murray Porter – "Baby You're My Good Thing" [1492 Who Found Who]
• Jamie Coon – "Betrayed With a Kiss" [Everything So Far]
• Native Roots – "Native Girls" [A Place I Call Home]
• Lunar Drive – "I'm in Love With a Navajo Boy" [All Together Here]
• James Bilagody & The Cremains – "To Be In Love" [Sacred Stage]
• Martha Redbone – "Say You Love Me" [Home of the Brave]
• Jana – "Gotta Be" [Flash of a Firefly]
• Arigon Starr – "Snaggin'" [Wind-Up]

Hope you enjoyed listening to our love-themed playlists. Don’t see your favorite love song by a Native American artist? Feel free to add it in the comments.

Next time:  Beware of Friday the 13th!

Sina Bear Eagle NS-NV co-host

Greetings AIROS fans,

Welcome to the first blog entry for Native Sounds-Native Voices ("NS-NV"). For the uninitiated, NS-NV is radio show on AIROS.org, playing the best in both contemporary and traditional Native American music.  Whether you like drum groups like Black Lodge or Cozad, Jim Boyd or Buddy Red Bow, or even if your tastes run more toward Blackfire or Native Roots, NS-NV has something for you.

Although NS-NV hosts Aden Marshall and yours truly, Sina Bear Eagle, are members of the Lakota tribe, we try to avoid any obvious bias--for example, a penchant for northern style powwow. (Hey, "try" is a key word here). Just don’t e-mail us about puppy soup and we'll try to keep the sheep/rabbit/salmon/turtle jokes to a minimum. (By the way, did you hear the one about Paiute and the chinook?)

We recently ran two "love" shows in honor of the delicious heart-shaped chocolate boxes that have been appearing on your grocery stores' "reduced price" shelves lately. Valentine's Day had already passed, but it's never too late to surprise your long-term snag with month-old candy and romantic tunes:

Love Show #1 (Click for CD information)

• Jay Begaye – "Hush My Darling" [Round Dance in Beauty]
• Randy Wood – "My Love is True" [My Heart and Soul]
• Glen Ahhaitty – "Pretty Indian Girl" [True Lies From the Road]
• William Horncloud – "I'm Not Single" [Rabbit Dance Songs]
• Earl Bullhead – "Love Song #2" [Walking the Red Road]
• Kevin Locke – " Morning Star Love Song " [Love Songs of the Lakota]
• Georgia Wettlin-Larson –  "Ojibwe Love Charm," "Ojibwe Love Song" [Heartbeat]
• Tiwahe – "Love Song" [Tiwahe]
• Black Eagle – "Beautiful Dancing Woman" [Life Goes On]
• Northern Cree – "Fool For You," "Draggin' My Heart Around" [It's Time to Round Dance]
• Southern Cree – "NDN Gurlz," [Drum For Life]
• James Bilagody – "Look For Love"[Near Midnight]

Next time, we’ll tell you about Love Show #2.

Stay tuned!

Sina Bear Eagle NS-NV co-host