Songs (Written by Ed Potts)

Our people have always had songs as part of our culture  just like any other race on this earth. Both drums and rattles are used but this is not always the case, sometimes people will sing without these. There are many different songs that are sung and just as many reasons for singing them. Some are sacred and sung only during ceremony, songs such as the Sundance songs or the ones given during the vision quest. These songs given in the vision quest are personal and not sung for any reason other then when it is appropriate. This is also true of the ones sung in the sweat lodge ceremony. If you think about it all aspects of our lives are sacred and each song is special in its own way. Long ago people were so in touch with that which moves all things that they were blessed with songs for many different reasons. There is a Grandfather who is the keeper of songs and this is where the sacred songs come from. It is said that each and every living being created has its own song. When our people went on the vision quest they might be given a song to call their spirit helper but not everyone was given a song nor was everyone visited by the spirits. Many things have changed and some people no longer live as they are suppose to so the songs may become lost. The grandfather will be there always waiting for the blessed ones. Every seven generations special people are born into the tribe and if they choose to walk the red road they will carry on the traditions and the songs will again be given to the people.

Today the songs most people are familiar with are the Pow-wow and Round Dance songs. The People of the Earth have always sung songs to celebrate life and this is so in the Pow-wow songs. This is something that the younger generation started in their quest to revive our culture and show pride in the fact that we are still here and we love living so much that we had to find away to share this with all the world. A Hopi elder predicted that when the eagle lands on the moon the native people would start on a path that would lead them back to the culture and we would regain our spiritual strength. It is said that the first words out of the mouth of the astronuat that landed on the moon was "The eagle has landed". It's about the same time the Pow-wows started to become celebrated and is an annual event now. It brought all tribes together to celebrate life.

The Round Dance was a healing ceremony that became a social dance for the people and they usually hold these in the winter. This is also something new to our people which started many years in the past. The elders said those that have passed on come and dance with you when you dance at a Round Dance. When you look up into the night sky our relatives dance there just as they do when they join in the Round Dance with you. The Northern Lights you see are said to be those that have passed on and they are always present both night and day. So you should know your relatives are always there with you just on the other side of that thin veil. Our neighbors to the north the Dene tha have a similar dance which is referred to as a "Tea Dance" which is much like a Round Dance but has retained the spiritual aspect. If you have ever seen this dance you'll notice that the people move very much like the northern lights. Each person moves up and down as they dance around the fire, like the northern lights. With our Round Dance we join hands in a circle and dance clockwise. The drum and the singers sit in the middle. The beat of the drum is like the heartbeat of the community and all members move as one. This is how it is suppose to be.        

Late Peter Potts  (Son of Late Gilbert Potts Sr.)