1000 Years of Song: The Apache

before the dawn they have gathered from the other places to celebrate a coming-of-age the young girl she dances she faces east the Sun rises to her dance the songs carry her feet always the songs they are blessings prayers given by the Khan ancient messengers teachers of the patch away the songs endure they carried the stories the singers tell it hands clinched to the mouth spreading the sound failing the field the Apache sunrise dance nyeeehhh s this is the in coming-of-age ceremony for a patchy girl into a woman hood for days little sleep tests of endurance strength heart this is her moment her place family friends gathered celebrating she receives lessons for a good life she receives the love and assurance the gift of a thousand years of song they are ancient the songs and the story is carried on the tongues of our people share on the winter nights around the fire in the sweat lodge during the ceremonies the dancing the calm or the mountain spirits they are the first teachers of the patch away when the crowns are warm their power blesses the community through the dancers the sacred ceremonies require their presence the singer has learned his songs from others before him there must always be four songs or is a sacred number the four directions the four seasons the four colors I was young way back I was about six or seven years old when I started learning I'm being taught by a Saturn V medicine that my dad my mom picked these medicine that they gave him a horse a cow and a cache I saw they pick these Benson men and they taught me a lot of things I can sing a whole song snake song social song sunrise chrome dancers or deer song in a Pecha way I can't sing a lot of songs if you want to hear me sing all the song that I know it might take six months to do all of the song that I learned in my life oh is always hitting the horse song is sung as a prayer before the journey the horse is a brother our sister to the writer they are protected through this lesson is over don't free thing PDV is a lot is over sometimes the Apache have to fight the war dance will bless the Warriors there were gained courage strength and cunning even though their battles are no longer with the spear and shield the dance still arms them for trials they face in life your way oh hey the man you leave for war we only stay there bow and their own dance will protect the man shield them from harm the arrows of the Warriors will go straight with Spears of the enemy will not pierce their skin they will return safely home way away oh hey hey wait wait hey are you way away are hey hey don't ten or not you're not see yah yah way all right where you will hey hey where we are wait hey are you where we are now don't ten are not you not see yah yah way all right huh you're not good in your na yo and only on a Haryana Corrine Jana yo this guy is our brother he awakes us at dawn he sinks with the wind these tears are blessings to our corn squash and acorns the rain calls our plants out of the earth return to the caterpillars and wheat but the rain makes them grow we watch for the rainbow to say it is through it is always important to give thanks for the gifts the rainbow dance is our expression of gratitude we still speak of Geronimo here he is a hero to all Apache because he resisted the will of the US government like the coyote in our stories he outsmarted the army are you AII you young all right this is drama song he made this song way back a long time ago there he's supposed to meet a lot of people at one place so it was there where nobody was there so that's what they call this song where is everybody you're the drum and the voice are the main instrument of the Apache there are others the flute was traditionally used for recording Apache artists and the storyteller Michael acabas illustrations from his book the Apache flute player tell the story of a young man who in his beloved it is said that a boy who plays a beautiful song on the flute can win the heart of a girl he seeks for his wife the music enters her spirit within and causes her to fall in love Chesley Wilson a San Carlos Apache is keeping the musical tradition of the Apache flute alive he is also the only surviving maker of the Apache ball in ask an elder about an Apache concern and he or she might say the loss of traditions our culture has been passed down orally through our stories and music some say the young people are not interested in keeping our traditions alive teachers like Bonnie Lewis are dedicated to passing our songs and our stories on to the next generation the sunrise dance is a patchy way to welcome a girl into a woman hood the parents love the girl they want this blessing upon her unless for days the healing man guides her through the strong power it is changing woman there must be two camps the girl's family and the sponsors the food exchange honors each camp they are gifts of love it is time to take the food a good man is chosen to dance in the front he carries the tobacco it represents his prayer when tobacco is smoked you become part of the knowledge they enter the camp and dance four songs in four places the gifts are shared they dance with the gifts on the third day 32 songs will be sung changing woman enters the girls body while she dances next to her friend the godmother replaces the friend and gives her support the girl kneels and dances it is the story of a changing woman been made pregnant by the son kneeling shows humility you endure with power when you are unselfish the girl lies down the godmother massages are girls muscles this allows a change in woman to make the girl's body become song it can be molded to give her straightness beauty and strength the feet done IES do it the girl runs around the cane for directions her health is assured on the fourth day the Sun rises the paint is prepared for the blessing The Godfather takes the feathers he dances he paints the girl in four directions this seals the lessons of a changing woman the girl is pulled up by the feathers she is returning from the spirit world she accepts her role in the patchy light and then it is ended the father is so proud he cries for his love and holds his daughter she has endured great tests she has grown through changing woman she is ready for her next place in Apache life music is a blood of our culture it carries the stories they always we dance as a community to music we sing our children to sleep say goodbye to those who have gone call to our spirit teachers speak to the great mystery without music we would not have an Apache soul it is our past and our future you you you you you Oh Oh you you you you

Channel: jcravath

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Id: Q-miKzuLfMY

Length: 19min 38sec (1178 seconds)

Published: Mon Feb 25 2013