Spirit Flute: Healing the Heart

Spirit Flute

Healing The Heart is made possible by Hobbs, Straus, Dean, and Walker. For over forty years, Hobbs Straus has worked to help tribes realize positive change in Indian country. Promoting and defending tribal rights. and by The Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma and by The Chickasaw Nation of Oklahoma and by The Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma and by The Seminole Nation of Oklahoma (serene flute music) The flute, the music, the drum, the song and dance is the rhythm of our humanness.

as human beings. It's who we are We can't just stay still. We have to be active. It's really difficult to be a native today.

(flute playing) The native American flute has started a new evolution. The elders and those that have passed on that had to go underground, that they had to salvage our language through music and song and dance. It is a part of the rhythm in us. I believe that the non-natives have really stepped up and making and playing the instrument, almost died has come back which something that and it's also healing them today.

That's the essence of playing the flute is to bring balance back, because it's a gift from the creator. It touches all people. My feeling that I get when I make a flute, it's part of me. It's not just a piece of wood that I carved out and sanded down.

And it's part of me. I put myself in that thing. I want it to make a tone that I'm happy with. I say flute music has brought a strong essence to American Indian culture.

(intense instrumental music) The people at the senior center was a blowed on the flute and the women like that I tell them, I said, now this is a love flute, and this is how the Indians captured their women. that before I play this, So I need to warn you you women control yourselves. (chuckling) (serene flute music) One of the earlier uses of the instrument was a, for courtship. The instrument was responsible for solidifying relationships.

it was forbidden back then. As far as ladies playing, to do the manly things. They weren't allowed And the flute was a manly thing. The woman wasn't the one that did the courting, it was the man.

There are some stories that it's only to be played by the men. I think times have changed. We are changing people. We're not locked in time.

(flute playing music) I want to play the American Indian flute. One of the elders said, "Mm, mm it's Choctaws". Hattak played the flute. Not women, not Ohoyos.

Well, I wanted to be traditional, and I wanted to be respectful. I said, "Omeh, okay". (light and airy flute music) (intensifying instrumental music) Our history in the United States is devastating. We came in about this close to being completely annihilated from the face of the Earth.

This is a story. suffering and hardship. This is a history of There are no fun stories in any of this. We all got hardships, bring ourselves together, but now it's time to and think about ourselves as not people of different colors, green, blue, purple, orange, but humans, human beings.

(intense instrumental music) (light and airy flute music) We sing our dreams through that flute. (light and airy flute music) This music was meant for everyone. It was the gift to the world. Native Americans' a flute for someone To be able to play and watch things leave them and watched them relieved of stress.

success anybody could have. That's the greatest This is what we need to teach young people and we need to teach them the voice of being in the world. And that's this flute. It belongs to us.

It belongs in our culture. Who's going to carry all of this on? That's my greatest concern. (light and airy flute music)

NARRATOR

Native American flute players feel the rhythm of nature and understand how the vibration from all living things flows through them, experience of hearing the flute. creating the impactful The origin of the American Indian Flute goes back hundreds, if not thousands of years. A major concern today is about the future of the Native American flute, due to the horrific treatment of the American Indian people over hundreds of years, indigenous culture is slowly being lost and forgotten, little chance to understand leaving young people and appreciate the old ways, the mysterious and healing elements of the flute. (light and airy flute music) It's about the winds.

We're inhabited by all these winds. It is in our body, there are winds, not just the outside. There are seven winds. The first is your mind.

The electral stuff that goes on in there, in your mind as it works, it puts out this energy. It's like a wind. That wind surrounds you all the time. It's coming from here, it protects you.

(peaceful instrumental music) Calming the mind. Letting the mind settle with clear and sincere thoughts, pure thoughts, prayers. No one understood this better than artists, Doc Tate Nevaquaya and Woodrow Haney. These two men were an inspiration to many and were the reason Native American flutes survived into the 20th century.

I'm (indistinct), I'm Seminole and Creek. The thing about my dad was that he, what he knew about the culture he tried to share with people and tried to keep that alive. People loved him. I mean, wherever we went, he told stories, he was a storyteller.

When you stop, great spirits said son, "I wanna talk to you, because I want to give you instructions, so follow these." People laughing all the time. And he just had a way of connecting with people. When I was about in the fifth or sixth grade, my cousin, who lived in Tulsa, I went up there to stay. My cousin was a girl.

know, we about the same age. We were best buds, you Woodrow Haney was up there and taught her how to make a Cedar flute. with a flute back in that day. That was my first connection that one of these days, And I always had hope maybe I can go up there and stay with my aunt and learn how to make a flute from Woodrow, 'cause I loved it.

I'd sit there and tried to play it. I didn't know a lot about it, of course, I was just a kid. I met a friend. He says, "you ought to hear our music".

music, but we have this flute". He said, "There's the vocal really like to hear one", I said, "Oh man, I'd Cortez when I was there, 'Cause I saw one in 16 years old driving around on the Rez and he says, "You should get one". I found two flutes that were made by a man named Oliver W. Jones.

And I said, "How much are these"? He says, "Well, if you can play one, you can have it". I said, "God, you know, I've never played one before, but I'll try it". bit and I'm blowing on it.

And it cracked a little He said, "Not so hard, just very soft, like you're breathing into it". So I tried it and he said, "That sounds pretty good, but you need to learn some songs". know what key it's in"? I said, "Well, do you He says, "Oh, we don't have keys".

He said, "These are Comanche flutes". He says, "You want to learn how, you go, and if you can get to Oklahoma, you talk to Doc Tate Nevaquaya", he said, "and he's a flute player". And he says, "Doc Tate is learning how to make them and he's working with Woodrow Haney and a number of other flute players or flute makers in Oklahoma". come to Oklahoma and listen".

And he says, "You need to fellow when I was coming around. Mr. Tate, he was an older I was his sons' ages and I began to talk to them about the flute playing and just listen to him professional recording. before he went into creation, his inspiration, I appreciate his, his and I just admired the way he carried himself and how his sons picked that up, as well.

Doc Tate Nevaquaya. Dad, his name was blooded Comanche. He was a full He was the father of nine children. My dad, you know, had an encounter, since he was a child with the instrument and he heard it.

And those melodies of that instrument stuck with him throughout his lifetime. He started gathering information from a lot of the elders of the Comanche Tribe. Stories that they had kept with them. And that's how he had started to learn.

And he began to grow. reestablish what we would call And then he began to traditional flute music, of today. My father, Woodrow, was a very close friend of Doc Tate's. All got acquainted through art shows, which there used to be many.

Doc Tate was one of those few people who could play the flute and he passed it on. And I remember my dad working with him and visiting, the flute and so forth. talking how to make So, Doc Tate Nevaquaya had a great influence on his life. dad actually made flutes I don't know that my until he met him.

What I kind of drew from them, that there, there are appropriate times for everything in life. the intentions of exploitation. They never had the spirit or And I'm glad I learned that. I'm glad that was already in me, but they just added to that.

And I would never want to exploit something that was given as a gift. Great spirit said, "I give you this because you are a very, very sad person. You really need something to build you up and make you feel better". He said, "This will make you feel better because that is a sacred flute.

Sacred flute will make you feel good. And anytime you play it, you remember those that hear the sound of it will also receive a blessing". (spiritual flute music) The next one is right here, your ears. (birds chirping) It's always an honor to be able to come out and just to be, just to stand wind, just to hear the wind.

and just to listen to the This particular place looks really well. point me in the right direction. Always ask Creator just to So that way, when I see the bamboo, I can see the flutes within it. And this particular piece, I can actually see the flutes and the joints are really speaking to me because they're so close together.

And you know, the coloration, now the coloration of this will go all the way down towards the base. The flute in essence are actually found are tones that in nature themselves. to even to listen to those. But we don't take the time So we have desensitized ourselves as societies from those things that really help us.

And then all the sounds that you hear, those sounds of the certain birds, even sometimes the old crow sound pretty good. What I remember about my dad in his flute, early flute playing days, he was sitting outside and at night he would be playing his flute. And I think what he was doing, he was trying to imitate the sounds around him. (spiritual flute music) A'ho, enjoy your flute (crowd cheering).

(bamboo clattering) (birds chirping) These particular pieces that come from Alabama. I don't know if I'm getting all the songs out of it 'cause it has a lot of stories to tell, as they swayed in the wind, I said they were listening to a lot of stories being told. They watched a lot of our people pass. That's what I think about.

(birds chirping)

flute making has always been NARRATOR

Native American a spiritual experience and an art form that takes years to perfect. Sadly, over the last century, the art of flute making has slowly disappeared. Yet, those who remain strive to keep flute making alive. (relaxing instrumental music) Most of these flutes that I make, have some kind of effigy.

you notice that they Some kind of animal effigy. And first you find this little bird here. I was a sign painter, that's before the computer age and everything was done by hand. I jumped into woodcarving, and then hearing Woodrow play the flute.

(flute music) Also some of these were made out of a bamboo cane too. I saw how he was making it. I talked to Woodrow, I said, "Woodrow, what did you not have like power tools to, to assist you in making the flutes"? And he says, "Oh no, that's, the Native American Flutes, that's not the way to do real true Native American flutes.

It's all done by hand". Split it in half. have about three quarter inch Split it in half, then you on both sides, so you clamp it, you put it together. It's called Native American flute is, if you're not Native American then you can make flutes, you cannot call it Native American flutes.

WOODROW HANEY

I'm from a Bird Clan. have some kind of bird. All my work usually

JERRY HANEY

I started making flutes by his instructions. How you do this. You know sometime I do a bear for the people that are in the Bear Clan, Coyote Clan. And they even had the Owl Clan.

I never was really impressed with trying to make my flutes to certain key. I have to go back to what Woodrow told me, when he made a flute then he says, well, if it sounds like this, he says, I knew it's not to a, like a D flat, C minor, whatever all that other stuff is, if it sounded like Woodrow told me, to me it was ready to go. And the size of the hole it makes a difference on what kind of sound you're gonna get. Okay?

NARRATOR

The appearance of the flute may look simplistic, but it is a complex instrument with multiple elements that must blend together to create the healing sounds for the listener. (intensifying instrumental music) Native American Flute In the past, the basically looks similar to this before the modern tools come in. And at that time they used a flint stone to split the wood in half. They used a tree sap to glue the instrument together.

And they use rawhide to seal it. The Southern Plains flute usually consisted of six note holes. The way they drilled the holes, find a branch that had a sometimes they would they would go according to that. woodpecker holes in it, and who used a certain stones to But then there were others actually drill the hole.

So the process, you know, varied. The prepared wood was Cedar. They started to learn the characteristics of your instrument. And then that's how you produced your music.

Whenever the flute played, well then they would start to emulate their tribal songs. And that was really the birth of traditional Indian flute music. Today's tools actually helped us refine the Native American flute. Whenever my dad started to make the instruments back in the late 60s, he stuck to those old instructions and handed them down to me and my brothers and we're able to teach and demonstrate traditional flute maker.

the techniques of a Having that organic style of making the instruments authenticity of the instrument. helps you to establish the I got into flute making when I was in college, there were always flutes in my dad's house by my grandpa Woodrow. He had always numbered them and I was always amazed at how many he made. When I was little I do remember distinctly wood shop from time to time.

visiting my grandpa in his And he would basically show me his, his space, which looks kind of a lot like this. So there's kind of tools everywhere, there's wood everywhere. I do remember him showing me his flutes and letting me play them. Jerry kind of showed me the ropes.

basically how flutes began. Okay, this is, the This happens to be a Cedar limb. And you wanna split it. Now by splitting it, you can use a knife and stick the knife in here and push it on down this here.

Then you want to mark it off. This will be this air chamber. And it goes into the sound chamber here. Once that's all cut out right there, then you won't have to put it back together.

together, then this is a, Once it's put back an inner tube off of a bicycle, makes an excellent clamp. So as you take it and you stretch it around, you stretch it and I'll go all the way around and let it sit. I'll let it sit overnight. And then we take it apart.

Then, hopefully, you'll have a flute that is something like this. And then you start working on it to get your little bird's nest, as we call it here. And you put all your holes in here for the sound, but that's basically how you make a flute. What I call a Native American flute.

(bandsaw machinery running) I liked what he was doing. My brother making flutes, the things that he was doing. So, he taught me, showed me And he'd done a lot by hand, but me being, I don't know how you want to call it, lazy or what, but anyhow, I, I said, no, there's got to be a better way. So I got me a lay and bandsaws and other power equipment.

Most everything I do is power tools. (bandsaw machinery running) was a master storyteller My grandpa, Woodrow, he and he told stories through the flute. I think I still have much more to learn from Jerry and from my grandpa Woodrow. I'm just gonna keep on learning.

(spiritual flute music) And you look around, it's like a wind that's coming in. The light, it's coming into your eyes. main wind source in your body. And it's going here, to the don't just look at things, So you learn to see, what you see, see into these things, but the animals, the insects, all the things around you, you learn that, play that.

(water rushing) (spiritual flute music)

LEWIS JOHNSON

I was playing a cane flute birds gathered in the trees. and literally hundreds of some of those birds begin to And I started playing and mock back when I was playing. It was a phenomenon, even to me to see that happen. (spiritual flute music) (water rushing) A wonderful thing I like about cane, this, I made, Mother Nature made it.

In river cane, there's no other flute in the world that will ever duplicate the sound that they have. And that's all from Mother Nature. (relaxing flute music) You put part of yourself in that thing. And that's what I do when I make a flute.

It's more than just a piece of a tree. It's part of me then, you know, and I do thank the trees for given it to me, you know, and I love that. That's what a tree does. You know, it's providing you back with things from it, hey, thank that tree.

and if you take something everything around you's living. I've always been told that (peaceful flute music) That's my song. (spiritual flute music)

NARRATOR

The Oklahoma land is an inspiration for so many people today. became home to generations This beautiful place their songs and prayers of Native tribes and traditions of flute players. are embedded in the Comanches roamed through here, A long time ago, when the beauty of the Wichita mountains. they were captivated by the My dad would bring his flute out, you know, and he would, he would play some music and that music blended with the landscape out here.

It seemed to me that it even had a profound effect on the Buffalo. For me, you know, being out here, I can identify with the landscape when I'm here and I'm at one with the earth. Whenever I come out to the Wichitas and play, me on a spiritual journey. the music to me, it takes (water rushing) I feel, you know, at one with my music and at one with the landscape, and at one with the Almighty and that is really the, the spirit of this instrument.

We're here at the base of Mount Scott. This is the Lake Lawtonka. homelands of the Comanche, These are the traditional the Kiowa and Apache. particularly on the top, They saw this area, and opportunity to have ceremony.

of Mount Scott, an To me this is a very sacred place here in Southwest, Oklahoma. and feel very much at home The beauty of this place is a reflection of the music. The beauty that the Great Spirit had given to us, to stop and enjoy what he surrounded us with. Just like out here in the Wichita mountains, it's not the big monumental mountains, but there's a peace here and a spirit here through here got to experience.

that the tribes who roam It's here. It's alive. It's breathing. it's waiting for you to enjoy.

And it's waiting for you, (water rushing) (serene flute music) We've learned to understand the wind, because it carries songs and my breathe. Now you smell everything, but you, when you breathe, you make this noise. You learn that too. little inch of everything.

So everything is in this when you hear flute music? Why is it feel so good Why is flute music something that seems to move everybody? Why is it that it's something that just makes you feel good when you hear it? Well, the thing about flute music is it takes air and that same air, that it takes to make the sound within the flute, is that same piece of air that God breathed into us whenever we were all born.

I believe that same breath that exists and resides within who we are as a people, is, is that same breath that was breathed into us from the very beginning. So that flute music, when you're playing it with that breath, me, it's just kinda like and that sound that to into you at that moment. that spirit he blew And as you're playing with that breath, that it meshes with everyone else. And so I think that's where everything ties together.

And I think that's why it feels so relaxing because in that moment, it's in that moment, I think that we are connected. We are all connected. We are all related brothers, sisters, fathers, mothers, and grandparents, seven generations. for the 21st century is A compelling question why is a man's breath more important than a woman's?

Would a woman not have the ability to play the Native American flute if all pure intentions and respect for the tradition are there? primarily a man's instrument It has always been to sing his soul, his heart to the world. (spiritual flute music) their voice, their world. Women have their songs, Women have their way of being, and men have their way of being, but it will never be like this.

There's a shift in consciousness, ourselves in the here and now. as we began to look at The word traditionalism, it does change over time. To me, it doesn't stay constant, because there's always an interpretation. Then it becomes the eye of the beholder.

Time does change. And gender roles do change. Those that are gifted inside express themselves. are starting to So I think I'm all in favor of inclusionary for what we have for our flute, comes from our Creator.

because I think it As far as ladies playing, you know, it was forbidden back then, but the ladies were always against doing anything. kind of discriminated I don't pretend to speak for anybody else, but myself, I don't represent the tribe when I talk to (indistinct) like that, I just say how I feel. And as far as women playing the flute, I have no problem with that. My career started in sixth grade band, all the way to high school, and I loved the oboe.

Oklahoma State University. Played at Southeastern I said to my oboe teacher, American Indian flute. I want to play the One of the elders said, "You want to pray with your flute and you want to be traditional. You don't have to do a man's tradition, which is to go up on the hill, prepare for the ceremony, to do your prayertize and be out there, pray and stand, with Creator and the Spirit for three days.

No food, no water. (spiritual flute music) And if you are gifted that prayer song, you can then play for all others, all other people. If you don't get that prayer song, yourself and your family. you can play only for If you plan to be traditional and respect the traditional ways".

I said, "Omeh, okay". So, I did. And I was gifted a prayer song there. (spiritual flute music) I don't say I play the flute.

I say that I pray the flute. sons and I had daughters What if I didn't have and they wanted to learn, I would teach them too, because it's getting to the point now to where you see are willing to do this. less and less men who And you're finding more girls who want to take part and to, and they appreciate not only the art itself, but also the sounds that they can create. (spiritual flute music) Culture's one thing, that's been lost in our lifetime but I think there's so much as Native Americans, that, would this just be one more thing?

And I think it could, if we allow pride to get too much in a way, and this is not about pride, something that belongs to us this is about sustaining as a people, for us to continue on, are, our own unique way. to celebrate who we So, therefore, I would never keep a woman from doing this. I would never do that. (peaceful flute music) I think it would be different, sitting there waiting to learn if I had a whole line of men or young men, I think it would be different.

to the culture, and say, Than I would hold true this is a man's instrument, but there are no young men that are coming, who are really wanting to learn. So therefore, if I say, I can't teach this because there are no more men, also willing to let this die, well then I'm saying, I'm and I'm not willing to do that. (calming flute music) Omeh. (spiritual flute music) I'm always hopeful somewhere, somebody will pick it up.

I've always told young people, you've got to learn what it means to be here. stories of why you came here, You've got to learn the awareness, the wisdom of others. but you can learn the And then like that small bird singing, you know, you can play it on the flute. We can teach you how to use it the right way.

To play your own song, your own voice, your own spirit. It's one of those things that's a connection to our past. We are losing that art form and we have too few people who play the beautiful music. make flutes and I think that alone will inspire some people to learn more.

I think it's an exciting time for young people reaching back to their roots, to get involved in, in learning these traditional ways and playing the flute is one of the best ways to do that. get a lot of inspiration And I know that they from Tommy and other people. There's some people that kinda just come back learn about their heritage. for a little while, and, and that opportunity to do so You know, it gives them if they want it.

As I'm getting older, I, people step up to the plate. I like to see younger the enthusiasm of the kids, I think when you look at it's really difficult to keep them, their minds on the flute. interest when they see it, Most kids will have an pick it up, play it today, tomorrow, then after that, it's just stuck on the shelf somewhere or under the bed, whatever, and that's the problem. keep in contact with them, We don't have a way to to keep the interest there.

If you had classes where they could come and play, that would be a lot better. So when you look at flute interests at the mid 20s and above, that's good, people are already set in their ways, they've got a job they have to do, so they don't have time to do whatever. involved on a weekly basis, If you don't get them you're going to lose them. That's the problem with trying to get this thing going.

I have this recollection, a vivid recollection of being in my grandpa Woodrow's wood shop. Interestingly enough, and it's a painting of my grandfather teaching me how to play the flute. enough, after all of these years, And I was so little, oddly that painting's name rings so true, because his gift to me was flute making. For the boys, you know, and I always told them, there's a day in time, you know, you know, that, you know, you'll be thankful that you got to learn it whenever you want to learn, you know, I'm always here.

It was a similar to what my dad was teaching. You know, a lot of what I learned was really through observation. So that's what they're doing. Yeah, there you go.

two, three, three, two, one. Remember you got a one, (relaxing flute music) How I'm teaching them was really how my dad had taught me how to play. Her name's Mahiya, the one that was my apprentice. There's so much more that I could share with her, but we had eight months of over 25 years into this.

That's hard to share within eight months, much as I could with her. but I tried to share as going to be carrying out This is something she's for the rest of her life. really happy to know that And so it makes me sitting there with her, you know, all the things we talked about earlier, you know, her quietness and everything. And I knew why it was there, because she was listening to everything I was telling her.

a wild Indian dinner We had went to and Mr. Harjo was there, and so we had asked him if he would teach me how to make a flute for the pageant I was running in, and so he helped me and that's where things took off. When I first met him, I did ask him too, if he would teach me how to make a flute. He made everything like real easy and showed me step-by-step on how to do it.

For the first three, about three months, I would say, we kind of just went over the history. Native flute makers from just And we looked at other everywhere, anywhere we could find on YouTube. Woodrow Haney and Doc Tate Nevaquaya, how they really took flute making people, so that way, you know, and were trying to teach there could be a whole bunch of flute makers. This is the finished Cedar flute that I made with Mr.

Harjo. (relaxing flute music) a young Native American woman, The way I look at it as being learning the Native American flute, how to make them, how to play them, it's sometimes challenging. people that don't necessarily There's always going to be agree with me doing this, but that's not their decision at the end of the day. me, I personally feel like, So, the thing though for it's almost like an honor to be able to do this.

And as long as people accept it, you know, I'm willing to teach whoever, male, female, or if they don't specify. I would have never visualized being a part of something like this. able to take somebody on And then even being really visualize that happening, as an apprentice, I never college for seven years, because I taught at the had maybe one or two people teaching flutes, but only who actually come out and played and one or two that tried to make flutes again, but they never really did do it. But this young lady, I see her, this happening.

And what an honor it was for me to do that, somebody who can follow up. because now I have She's just like family to me now. always be there to help her too, And so, therefore, I will just like I am for my sons. And so I don't see this stopping with me.

It's going to continue. We are at Riverside Indian School, which is managed under the BIE, Bureau of Indian Education. developed for education The BIE was American children of Native and people that we see here are represented by 85 different tribes this year. come from all the different And most of the students Indian reservations across the country.

A lot of people ask, well, why, you know, why would they come to Anadarko, Oklahoma? It's so they can get an education. This school shows the date of being built in 1871. That's the oldest boarding school of the BIE.

And it is the last one still in existence, here in Oklahoma. And it's a different world (chuckling). Isn't it? hall, I heard flute playing.

When I was walking up the to the main lobby, So when I walked I saw Ms. Battiest. So I walked up to her, said, I like, I like the sound of your flute. You ask if I, you know, if you could try it.

Sure, sure. I thought, I was honored, interest or to say our youth, because just to see your certainly our Native youth, to be drawn to the actual, you know, hearing the flute. I, I felt as a compliment. fingers on the wrong holes.

Of course, I had my She told me to put the left one first. was like, I was, it was fate. So I did, when I blew, it Every time I blow through my flute, I get satisfaction from it. I be, I be at peace.

He's like the ancient Choctaws, or the elder Choctaws, gentle and kind and thoughtful. You know what a kind, what a kind young man. What a caring person. For the cycle of Spiritual Law, it would be my suggestion that they consult their elders, if they're Native.

And I'm sure if other people, anyone, you know, has free choice and free will. And in reality, it's, it's a person's soul that talks to them, to me, about the right and wrong. genuine gift or need or purpose The feeling like it's a Okay, are you ready? (spiritual flute music)

the future of the tradition NARRATOR

The youth are of Native American flute making and flute playing to share with the next generation and many generations to come, or it slips away as yet another cultural loss. rich stories of the past This sacred flute tells and inspires the future. It enlightens the soul and heals the heart. The Native American flute must carry on in the spiritual way it was intended.

(spiritual flute music) When I began working with this instrument and learning all of this information from many different native peoples, you know, here and there, even people from other countries, I said, oh my, this is a story. suffering and hardship. This is a history of We were told to find jobs. So culture got put aside.

We really need to find a way to resurrect all of those old stories. what tribe we belong to. And it doesn't matter stories are very similar. I said, because the Travail.

belonging is more important. But the knowledge of I know the hardships, we all have that, but we have to share the awareness that we're survivors too. Native American culture There was a time when was heavily suppressed by the US government. At that time, they didn't have an understanding the ceremonies really meant.

of what the music and what Native Americans off from that, Not only did they cut the but they cut themselves off from something that could have healed them back in that day in time. Sometimes it was difficult. You know, we talk about discrimination. Until the 70s, being a Native American- American Indian was not a really popular thing.

It became popular in the 70s. So, but, but like those would say, I was Indian before it became popular, (chuckling) so.

ELDER MAN

You didn't want to say that you were Indian back in those days.

Elder Man Raspy Voice

ELDER MAN

If you spoke Indian in the public schools, that was a bad thing. We'd lost our language. (speaking in foreign language) (spiritual flute music) It has a calming effect. anxiety, a lot, a little, I mean, I get a little quite a bit, almost every night.

And what I do, what I do, I grab the flute. Grab my flute, sit and play a few songs, and play a little bit on it or play some notes. much, I just play the notes. I don't play a song, so Within about 15 minutes, I'm calmed down.

So that was one of the reason we started making the flutes, something that you could use because we knew it was that can be beneficial. (calming flute music) A'ho. at it so much to say, oh, The flute, I don't look it's going to change somebody's life, because I don't look at it that way. I mean, it is an instrument.

It is something that was given as a gift to native people by the Creator, himself. And if the perspective of the player is there, then the effect will, as well, be there. So there will be somebody, somebody there's going to be touched by it. (spiritual flute music) All these people come into these services, they were bankrupt, inside.

They were actually looking for a native flutist, because they wanted an identified with a healing part of it, sounds of the Native flute. the healing part of the (spiritual flute music) If you come with the heart, it's not so much even what you're doing, presence helps that person. but it's just your very (spiritual flute music) had on him was, you know, Dad, the impact that it it gave him peace whenever he felt lonely. Especially for the elders, he would play that instrument, calm him down, you know, you know, and it would sense of peace over him.

and it would bring a And I believe that, you know, that was really a part of my dad's healing. (flute playing) matriarch for our family. My mother was the She was our connection to the past. And I had filmed a lot of songs with her.

helped with the mourning, One that I did with her because I was so close to her. I probably mourned for a whole year. (speaking in a foreign language) (spiritual flute music) One of the things we have to teach those young people is not just the flute making, that's just a part of the culture. We need to teach the young people the culture itself.

We walk in two worlds, and, and that's the way the young people have to do it. Right now, when they get young and try to think what they want to do, they're kind of focused on what can I make a, how do I make a living? You can't deal with flute playing. It's almost like seeking someone out, finding someone, bringing them in, to those who have potential.

interest in, in, Indianness. And they have to have some It's personal. I look at a time that there was a lot of flute players during my day. And I think that it lulls for awhile.

in the memories of all of us. But I think that it's still Once you institute a flute playing into the music of, of the curriculum in the school, it could survive. I was very concerned about a young native potential flute makers to come and make the flute and to play it. There is some resurgence of flute playing now, but I'd like to see more native people do that.

I play flutes, with indigenous people. Tom Mauchahty-Ware, he said, "Doc Tate, he wants you to learn this song". never forget this song. And he said, "You'll You honor Doc Tate when you play his song".

(spiritual flute music) He stares in spirit somewhere going, I'm gonna mess you up. (laughing) It's good to laugh at yourself, truly.

NARRATOR

The future of this tradition now lies in the hands of the young people who will carry this forward. But, there are obstacles to overcome. to be honored by all who play The respect of tradition is the Native American flute. I don't think there's enough interest in it.

you really need to have. The minimal tools that without all these major tools. Now you can make a flute you'll be doing by hand. You'll be like Woodrow, And then for forever, enthused as it added to, you have to be really to get to be a flute maker, if you don't have the proper tools.

The tools are everything, from the different file sizes, to the saws, to the little thing we used to shave it down. It's everything. important to carry this on The value, or an that it doesn't die out is just to make sure and that we don't lose it. And we're not going through this again, trying to bring this tradition back, because it was almost gone at one time.

When my time comes, I wish someone takes my flute and carry on the tradition. What I try to emphasize to the young people as you go up the ladder, you reach down and take the hand of those who need you, following and bring them up with you. And as you go along, don't forget our way. It's a good way.

To come and harmonize with, you know, this great and Mother Earth that we've been given. One of the greatest gifts that we have, it provides everything for us. It provides beautiful instruments like this, but it's up to us to create it. It's up to us to explore it.

it, is what really counts. And it's what we do with

DOC TATE

When I taught my sons, I said, "You will be criticized for playing this, by our own people producing something but as long as you're that has your spirit in it. that consists of beauty, the flute and play it". I said just make culture will be gone. Otherwise, all our It will be gone.

(spiritual flute music) This is the most important thing that we have today in the world, even though everything is changed and all of that, you know. We still have our flutes. We still have our voice. We still have the spirit of how it came to us.

A'ho. (spiritual flute music)

Spirit Flute

Healing The Heart is made possible by Hobbs, Straus, Dean, and Walker. For over forty years, Hobbs Straus has worked to help tribes realize positive change in Indian country. Promoting and defending tribal rights. and by The Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma and by The Chickasaw Nation of Oklahoma and by The Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma and by The Seminole Nation of Oklahoma