When the phrase American Indian music is mentioned, people usually visualize a circle of men and women chanting in their language, accompanied by a beating drum. While it is true that Native People still practice singing and chanting in this  traditional way,  this is only one aspect of Native music. Today, there are  many contemporary  American Indian artists representing music from different genres.

One such group of artists are members of the famous American Indian rock band   known as XIT (pronounced Exit)  and was created by  Tom Bee who was adopted at birth, and raised near the Navajo Nation in  Gallup,  New Mexico.

During  an interview with Brenda Norrell of  the  Pueblo Journal, Tom Bee commented, “…I see myself basically as being a survivor. The music was the means of delivering a very important message…I’m a guy that likes music. I’m still alive and doing it.”    His  message to Indian youths was,  ”…You can be a dreamer, but you still have to do the work.”

On their debut CD album  Plight of the Redman,  XIT  has  combined both historic and contemporary sounds within their music. They sing about the old ways and the new ones.

The sheer beauty of the mixture of  sounds, and of the powerful words is mesmerizing.  It is also pleasing to note that these musicians do not use  profanity to get their messages across. The songs are a mix of Native chants and English lyrics, so everyone can enjoy the music.

Here is one of the  favorites on this CD:

I Was Raised

As a young Indian boy
I was raised
in the true Indian way
free as the wind
on wings of white clouds
those were happy days

I saw beauty
I saw pain
the winter snow
and summer rain
I saw birth
the red of the night
and the green of the earth

I was raised with wise spoken words
and gentle hands
I was raised by the splendor of life
and became a man

As a young Indian boy
I was raised
with nature as my guide
free as a fawn
along the mountainside
among the butterflies

I would chant
I would pray
sometimes play
I would laugh
I would cry
some of us lived
and some of us died

I knew no hate
of human beings
only love
and simple things
bathing naked in a stream

I saw no shame
in running free

1999 EMI/Jobate Music Co. Inc. All lyrics by Tom Bee. Used with permission.

To learn more about Tom Bee and his music  his visit website

Suggestions for Reflection and Discussion of the song:

Review any vocabulary words students might need to understand: (e.g., splendor, fawn. chant, stream)

1. Place students in small groups, assign 1 or 2 verses of the song to each group, and ask them to interpret the meanings in their own words.

2. In groups, or individually have students create short poems or songs about their lives growing up within their cultures, then share them with the class.

3. You might ask specific questions about a line from each verse, especially for beginning students.

Examples:

I would chant

I would pray

sometimes play

I would laugh

I would cry

a. What does the word chant mean?

b. Why would the young Indian boy chant and pray?

c. Name two things that might make him laugh, and two things that might cause him to cry.

d. Write a short paragraph describing things that make you laugh and cry, and share them with the class.

Tags: American Indian music, CD, chanting, Gallup New Mexico, Indian youths, Plight of the Redman, Pueblo Journal, singing, Tom Bee, XIT