#13 - PT 1 Song Knowledge: Retention and use of songs in Tribal communities - Guest: John Stiffarm

Tribal Research Specialist: The Podcast

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In this episode, the IRC team is also joined by a special guest, John Stiffarm (A̓a̓niiih). John is from the Fort Belknap Reservation and has served as a teacher since 2007 of the A̓a̓niiih (Gros Ventre) language in kindergarten through 12th grade. His passion for culture and language revitalization has followed John into all aspects of his life as he continues to promote an Indigenous life through his work in education.

The IRC team discusses the knowledge of songs both contemporarily and traditionally. The episode starts with a Brave Heart Song sung by Paul Stiffarm (A̓a̓niiih). The song is used to honor and help people at significant times in their lives. They could be sung at funerals and wakes or during significant accomplishments of individuals. The continuing discussion contributes to a growing body of knowledge in how one acquires information about song and singing. John shares how he started on his journey into learning songs and the traditions associated with them.
The IRC team continues the discussion after listening to a clip of John singing an old hang game song. Hand game, stick game, and two-button game are discussed. These gambling games are described from an A̓a̓niiih perspective, while the IRC provides corroborative information about gambling games from our respective tribes.
The discussion centers around questions such as "How can traditionally acquired, and spiritually derived songs co-exist with composed contemporary songs?" "How will the next generation maintain traditions in the evolving landscape of song and song use?"

Have answers? Suggestions? Agree? Disagree? Join the conversation at one of our social media sites. Your input is valuable to advance our understanding.

Guest: John Stiffarm
Hosts: Aaron Brien, Marty Lopez, Brenda Shepard, Shandin Pete
Website http://irc.skc.edu
Apple Podcast https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/podcast-irc/id1512551396
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YouTube https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCWwuqsg39_mE76xMxER5MSQ

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1. Brave Heart Song - Paul Stiffarm (A̓a̓niiih) (00:00:00)

2. Part 1 - Acquiring Songs and Song Knowledge (00:01:40)

3. Hand Game Song - John Stiffarm (A̓a̓niiih) (00:39:29)

4. Part Two - Gambling Song Knowledge and Use (00:40:36)

5. Outro (01:10:17)