Navajo music

Navajo music is a distinctive and important part of the culture and art of the Navajo people of the American Southwest. Music has accompanied Navajo life for hundreds of years and through many struggles and changes. In modern times, Navajo musicians have preserved ancient musical traditions, while adopting newer styles and outside influences as well. Navajo music is mainly vocal, although instruments may provide important backup, and may be performed for countless sacred or social functions.

Background

The Navajo are a Native American people mainly living in the American Southwest in New Mexico, Arizona, and Utah. According to Navajo origin stories, their culture began with the first people who entered the world. The archaeological record of the Navajo dates back to around the first centuries CE. Scientists believe that the Navajo were then part of a larger group that later separated, with one part establishing a homeland in the Southwest at some point before 1300 CE. These people did well in their new home and created a vibrant culture based largely on trade with neighboring peoples. They expanded into what is today parts of Utah and Arizona. Music and art flourished.

Following the arrival of Christopher Columbus in North America in 1492, Europeans began sailing to the continent in ever-increasing numbers, significantly impacting the way of life of the Indigenous peoples. In the 1500s, Spanish explorers and colonizers were the first to make contact with the Navajo. Years of Spanish mistreatment and Indigenous revolt followed. During this period, the Navajo culture diversified by incorporating elements of neighboring Indigenous Nations, such as the Pueblo, as well as adopting European innovations, such as the use of livestock and horses.

Long after the departure of Spain and the beginning of the United States, the Navajo faced new struggles. In the 1800s, the new and growing United States began a fast expansion westward, seeking to control all the land from the Atlantic to the Pacific Ocean. The Navajo presented an obstacle to their land claims, resulting in frequent clashes between Navajo forces and the US military. In the 1860s, US efforts to push the Navajo from their Native lands onto government-designated reservations led to the disastrous Long Walk, a forced march of Navajo refugees in which thousands died.

Overview

Although the Navajo were briefly confined to reservations, they were soon able to move back to their traditional lands and nearby areas. At this time, the Navajo tried to restart their lives with a mixture of ancient customs and modern US influences. Many remained in farming and trading, while others became involved with mining, oil-drilling ventures, and modern industries. The Navajo also proved to be strong supporters of the US military during wartime, particularly in the World Wars.

One constant in the ever-developing Navajo world was music. Since ancient times, these people have created their own forms of song, dance, and instrumental accompaniment. Outsiders from Spanish colonizers to later American anthropologists marveled at their unique musical stylings. From 1890 to 1940, researchers recorded about 17,000 phonograph cylinders of Navajo songs. Part of the push to record the music was based on the erroneous belief that the Navajo way of life would soon dwindle into extinction. However, the Navajo, along with their music, have not only persisted but also grown in scope and influence over the years.

Navajo music developed over the long history of the people and picked up influences from other groups and changing times. Mainly, music served as an accompaniment for various ceremonies. The most sacred of these ceremonies are called “Blessingway,” which involve prayers to honor deities and ask for health and harmony. Handpicked and trained experts are entrusted with these prayers, and their exact words and sounds are deeply personal to the Navajo and seldom if ever disclosed to others.

Other ceremonies, including the Holyways, Lifeways, War Ceremonials, Evilways, and Gameways, each serve a unique purpose in Navajo culture. These are social ceremonies, frequently open to outsiders, which can mark most any event or situation in Navajo community life. Some tell stories from the past, such as the sash belt dance that honors the beginning and importance of weaving. Some performances are meant to honor esteemed people, such as the bow and arrow dance that thanks veterans. The ribbon dance and basket dance are meant to bring healing and blessings upon the community. Songs may accompany everyday tasks such as riding horses, doing chores, or courting. Many songs are for children, including educational songs, entertaining tunes, and lullabies.

In the twenty-first century, many groups still perform traditional social songs, both within Navajo communities and at various outreach programs. One such group is the Dineh Tah’ Navajo Dancers, formed in 1993 and based in Albuquerque, New Mexico. This group visited the Library of Congress in 2005 to record some of its most important staples.

The main element in Navajo music is traditionally singing. Vocal presentations of prayers, stories, or lyrics form the basis of most compositions. In some lengthy songs, such as those that tell origin stories or deity narratives, singers may perform in groups, and individual songs may last more than an hour. Songs based on chanting often stir up community participation and dancing. In traditional songs, the singing is done in the Navajo (or Diné) language. English or other languages may be used in other songs.

Although vocals are the main element, instrumentation is an important support in most Navajo music. Navajo musicians employ a wide range of instruments in their work, including whistles, flutes, rattles, and drums. One of the most distinctive instruments used by the Navajo is the bullroarer or the groaning stick. This instrument consists of a carved piece of pine wood tied to a stick; when swung in a circle, it creates a loud, deep buzzing sound.

A defining aspect of Navajo music is that many ancient traditions have been preserved, but the form of expression has developed along a basically unbroken line lasting for centuries. Navajo music styles and musicians have branched out into countless other musical genres. Navajo performers have brought their unique cultural styles into forms, including rock and roll, reggae, country, rap, blues, punk, and hip-hop. Heavy metal gained particular popularity among the Navajo people in the first decades of the twenty-first century, with some artists calling it an outlet of constructive anger. Dubbed "Rez metal," many bands, including I Dont Konform, compose songs that feature Native stories and tell the history of the Nation's culture. The rise of this music is documented in the book Rez Metal: Inside the Navajo Nation Heavy Metal Scene (2020) by Ashkan Soltani Stone and Natale A. Zappia. Other performers blend modern themes and lyrics with traditional harmonies and instruments to create distinct new forms of musical art. Some use their songs and public platforms to teach others about the Navajo and raise questions or concerns within the group, often in Navajo and English languages. A few notable Navajo bands of popular music have included the Plateros, Aces Wild, Tribe II Entertainment, Chucki Begay and the Mother Earth Blues Band, and Blackfire.

Bibliography

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