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Medicine Cat

Hola kitties! Back when I was a Twitter dj, we used to have themes for our pawties. Many of the themes were hard to fill an hour with songs fitting the theme. One week the theme was "Cowboys and Indians." I knew which side I was on but I was worried I wouldn't have enough music to fill an hour. The town I live was once the territory of the Hackensack and Tappan, of the Turtle Clan, or Unami, a branch of the Lenni Lenape.

Medicine Cat

I'm this month's musical conductor and co-host for the Music Moves Me blog hop. I'm joining Curious As a Cathy and the rest of the #4M crew. On August 3, 1990, President George H. W. Bush declared the month of November as National American Indian Heritage Month which became Native American Heritage Month. I thought this would be a great weekly theme.

I'd met a Twitter furrend named @LttleCrow whose dad was Native American. He was also a musician so I axed him for advice. Not only did he innerduce me to some amazing music but he made my avatar too using medicine man makeup. Thank you @LttleCrow's dad. I wish Grooveshark was still around so I could go back and check my original setlist but I think I remember most of the important musicians.

My setlist consists of traditional Native American musicians followed by some better known artists and a few that you may not know had Native American heritage. I chose some gorgeous instrumentals and a few "protest" songs because Indigenous people were screwed by the Europeans who settled their country and committed atrocities against them.



Richard Ball—"The End of Darkness" Funny I would begin the set with a song with this title. He happens to be @LttleCrow's dad and an accomplished flutist. Flute plays an important role in Native American music.
Richard Ball—"The World of the Crow" Did you hear the crows singing to the music? You can learn more about him at his website or download his music for any amount you'd like here.
John Trudell—"Heart Taker," "I Went so Willing" and "Blue Indians" A trio of songs by this poet from the Santee Dakota tribe.
Native Song—"Ly O Lay Ale Loya (Circle Danger)"
"Amazing Grace in Cherokee" Simply beautiful.
Robert Mirabal—"Medicine Man"
R. Carlos Nakai—"Shaman's Call"
Buffy Sainte-Marie—"My Country Tis of Thy People You're Dying" and "Now that the Buffalo's Gone" Some political music by one of the better known Indigenous musicians.
Jim Pepper—"Witchi-Tai-To" Jim wrote this song which you might recognize since it was covered by Brewer & Shipley. Jim was a member of the Creek & Kaw tribe.
Paul Revere & the Raiders—"Indian Reservation" A hit from the '70s. And, yeah, YouTube got the title wrong.
Indigo Girls—Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee" Another Buffy Sainte-Marie song interpreted by Atlanta's Indigo Girls.
Willy DeVille—"Cadillac Walk" We didn't know that Willy DeVille's ancestry is Pequot but now we do.
Grant Lee Buffalo—"America Snoring" Grant Lee Phillips bleeds Creek blood.
Walking Eagle—"Lament for Crazy Horse" Walking Eagle is Richard Ball. I though it would be fitting to end as I begun.

Medicine Cat

Hope you enjoyed my tunes. Thank you for having an open mind and listening despite this not being the new wave and punk I usually share. Here's a gratuitous cat pic. That's not food on my nose. It's just the way the light was hitting it.

Would you like to comment?

  1. That is very haunting music...thank u for this treat. We loved your multi colored picture too!

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  2. Those tunes were amazing CK, thanks for introducing us to them!

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  3. This is the kind of music I would have posted if I’d known the songs and artists

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  4. I didn't know that November was a tribute to our native Americans! Our forefathers didn't treat them well, did they?

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  5. What a lovely post, I had no idea this month was Native American month ... I am a bit embarrassed as my post today was called 'Cowboy Up!' Yikes! (and my lineage is Nez Perce too) double embarrassing!

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  6. That is a great shot of you and I love the Indian graphic of you too. Nice list of authentic Indian songs. I tried to find @Lttlecrow and his Dad, but it says no account with that name. :( Thanks for hosting. Have a nice week! XO

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  7. You put together a great set here. This was a good theme, I think it forced a lot of us to think outside the usual box.

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  8. Cathy/Keisha,

    I love your post title! :) This was a fabulously fun theme. I'm so glad you pitched this one for us. It was great to research and learn about Native American artists. Your playlist is great and I particularly loved Amazing Grace in Cherokee - just beautiful! Thanks for sharing the dance floor with us this month as honorary co-hostess, my dear. Have a boogietastic week. ;)

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  9. We didn't know about Native American month either.

    Super photo!!

    The Florida Furkids

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  10. I love the graphic! Very nice. :)

    Pinot xo

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  11. This was a great topic, CK! Promise we'll catch up next week. MOL on your tortie comment!

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  12. Great job, great theme man, what more can I say! Perfect timing so to speak. Dang, I loved seeing all these pics, tunes and just everything. What a great theme... don't cha think so???

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  13. Great job here. I went to both because both were signed in on my blog. By the way, I started Monday's Music Moves Me over 10 yrs. ago. Cathy & I were friends and she started playing along with us too many yrs. ago. In 2018 I had back surgery, and I asked for Cathy's help to run my blog for me, so I wouldn't lose my followings, and she became one of my first Co-Conductors. I treat her as an equal now and my best friend. She not only helped me with this program but through prayer and friendship. I started Monday's Music Moves 2009.06.13 on my birthday. My first Co-Conductors were Stacy, Callie, and 2 other ladies who are no longer with me, but my friend Stacy was with me since the very beginning. Thanks for joining us.

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  14. I haven't had chance to listen to your play list yet but it sounds good.
    Obviously being English I don't have any Native American heritage, but always sided with them over the cowboys in the westerns. Also playing cowboys and Indians growing up I always wanted to be an Indian.
    It looks so wrong typing Indian now instead of Native American, but that's what we called them as kids.

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  15. CK; ya look stunning in yur gra two it tus....thanx for sharin N thanx for sharin theeze toonz....we N joyz heerin other mewsic genres..
    & tell TW ta chex out this link....it may help ☺☺♥♥

    https://www.reddit.com/r/grooveshark/comments/34p0p3/recover_your_grooveshark_playlists/

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  16. Great graphic, CK! We think your musical selections are awesome. We do not know some of these artists, so we're going to give them all a listen now!

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  17. We really loved the Circle, CK, and that's some information about Willy DeVille. He's a fantastic singer, never thought he had Indian blood running through his veins. We have to listen to the other songs now. You looking great in your colorful outfit, Medicine Cat😸Pawkisses for a Happy Thursday🐾😽💞

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  18. I have at last had chance to listen to your music choices.
    Amazing Grace is beautiful and I love the video with it.
    I also enjoyed the first two with the haunting flute. I heard the crows singing. We have a crow who is always sitting on the pylon in our field and cawing. As soon as he sees Ivor he changes his call to "bring bring, bring bring" just like a phone ringing. He only does it for Ivor, never anyone else.
    I also liked Medicine Man. I enjoyed them all, but those were my favourites.

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  19. I grew up near a reservation and many of the students at my high school were Native Americans. My school offered a Native American studies course, which I took. Growing up, I attended events where they had drumming and songs. I'm glad I had that experience.

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