Nominees Announced for Native American Music Awards

Nominees Announced for the Eleventh Annual

Native American Music Awards (NAMA)
To Be Held On October 3rd, 2009
In Niagara Falls

Niagara Falls Photo by ©Marilyn Angel Wynn/Nativestock.com

A. ARTIST OF THE YEAR
1. Arvel Bird Tribal Music Suite, Journey of a Paiute (Southern Paiute)
2. Jan Michael Looking Wolf The Looking Wolf Project (Kalapuya – Grand Ronde Tribes)
3. Jana Mashonee New Moon Born (Lumbee)
4. Jim Boyd Harley High (Colville Confederated Tribes)
5. Kevin Locke Earth Gift (Lakota/Hunkpapa Sioux & Anishinaabe)
6. Tony Redhouse Deep Within (Dine)

B. BEST BLUES RECORDING
1. Dancing In The Rain Graywolf Blues Band (Intertribal)
2. Devil’s Son Skylar Wolf (Navajo)
3. Having A Good Time Now Pappy Johns Band (Iroquois)
4. I Don’t Play By The Rules Gary Small & the Coyote Bros (Northern Cheyenne)
5. I’ve Been Driftin From Door to Door Jimmy Wolf (Mohawk)

C BEST COMPILATION RECORDING
1. Bitter Tears Sacred Ground Joanne Shenandoah & Michael Bucher (Oneida/Cherokee)
2. Clear Water Reflections Various Artists (Ute/N Cheyenne/Lakota/Huichol/Ojibwe)
3. Come To Me Great Mystery Various Artists (Intertribal)
4. First Light Golana (Cherokee)
5. NBA Vol 1 JSK Presents (Warm Springs/Wasco/Modoc)
6. Sacred Place Mary Youngblood (Seminole/Aleut)

D BEST COUNTRY RECORDING
1. Live At Totah Theater Desert West (Navajo)
2. Life Aint Hard Ray St Germain (Metis)
3. Out of the Blue Out of the Blue (Cree)
4. Rattle Snake Bruce Hamana (Hopi)
5. Life Is Calling My Name Shane Yellowbird (Cree)

E DEBUT ARTIST OF THE YEAR
1. Apryl Allen Na Unu Nahai (Shape Shifter) (Comanche)
2. Benjamin Grimes Truth (Dine)
3. Dawn Avery Tulpe (Mohawk Haudenosaunee)
4. Jace Martin Jace Martin (Mohawk)
5. Samantha Crain The Confiscation: A Musical Novella (Choctaw)
6. Skylar Wolf Devil’s Son (Navajo)

F DEBUT DUO OR GROUP OF THE YEAR
1. Desert West Live At Totah Theater (Navajo)
2. Jimmy Shendo & Moiety Walking The Life Road (Jemez Pueblo)
3. Lietsoiitah Ye’ii Bi Cheii Singers Lietsoiitah Ye’ii Bi Cheii (Navajo)
4. Out of the Blue Out of the Blue (Cree)
5. Red Hand/White Hand Soothing Spirits (Apache)
6. Will & Lil Jess Reservation Nights (Oglala Lakota)

G BEST FEMALE ARTIST
1. Annie Humphrey-Jimenez The Sound of Ribbons (Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe)
2. Jackie Tice Morningsky Drum Song (Cherokee)
3. Joanne Shenandoah Bitter Tears Sacred Ground (Oneida/Cherokee)
4. Joy Harjo Winding Through The Milky Way (Muskogee)
5. Tagaq Auk/Blood (Inuit)
6. Tinesha Begaye Night of The Northern Lights (Dine’ Navajo)

H BEST FOLK RECORDING
1. Christmas On Turtle Island Jonathon Maracle (Mohawk)
2. Four Wolves Prophecy Atsiaktonkie (St Regis Mohawk)
3. Ink Blots and Random Thoughts Tonemah (Kiowa/Comanche/Tuscarora)
4. Papago Warrior P-dub Style Papago Warrior (Tohono O’odham)
5. The Confiscation: A Musical Novella Samantha Crain (Choctaw)
6. The Sound of Ribbons Annie Humphrey-Jimenez (Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe)

I FLUTIST OF THE YEAR
1. Bryan Akipa Songs From The Black Hills (Dakota Sioux)
2. Douglas Blue Feather Sacred Space (Cherokee)
3. JJ Kent Ta Te’ Topa Win (Lakota)
4. Kevin Locke Earth Gift (Lakota/Hunkpapa Sioux & Anishinaabe)
5. Mary Youngblood Sacred Place (Seminole/Aleut)
6. R. Carlos Nakai Talisman (Navajo Dine’)

J BEST GOSPEL/INSPIRATIONAL RECORDING
1. Amazing Grace Lenape Spirits (Cherokee/Mic Mac/Lenape)
2. For Our Future Cherokee National Youth Choir (Cherokee)
3. Hand of Jesus Yvonne St. Germaine (Cree)
4. Old Country Church Darrell “Boots” McCallum (Cree)
5. The Father’s Dance Broken Walls (Mohawk)
6. The Great Story From The Sacred Book Rain Song/Terry & Darlene Wildman (Ojibwe/Yaqui)

K DUO OR GROUP OF THE YEAR
1. Black Lodge Spo Mo Tiin Nan (Blackfeet)
2. Brule’ Lakota Piano II (Lower Brule’ Sioux)
3. Eagle & Hawk Sirensong (Ojibway)
4. Primeaux & Mike Peyote Ways (Sioux/Navajo)
5. Rezhogs All Day All Night (Yakama)
6. Tha Tribe Tha Quiet Storm (Navajo/Menominee / Assinaboine/Pima)

L BEST HISTORICAL RECORDING
1. Blackfeet Legends of Glacier National Park Jack Gladstone (Blackfeet)
2. For The Love of Music Wabs Whitebird (Paq’tn Kek)
3. For Our Future Cherokee National Youth Choir (Cherokee)
4. Molly of the Mohawks Augusta Cecconi Bates (Willow Wind)
5. Native Pride Thunder Hawk Singers (Micmaq/Cree)
6. The Cheyenne Dog Soldiers Red Hawk (United Cherokee)

M BEST INSTRUMENTAL RECORDING
1. Dusk To Dawn – Gvwi (Cherokee)
2. Something About The Awakening (Dine)
3. Tango! Gabriel Ayala (Yaqui)
4. The Looking Wolf Project Jan Michael Looking Wolf (Kalapuya – Grand Ronde Tribes)
5. Warriors Last Breath Mike Serna (Apache/Gabrileno)
6. Works By Jerod Impichchaachaaha’ Tate Jerod Tate & San Francisco Symphony & Chorus (Chickasaw)

N BEST MALE ARTIST
1. Bryan Akipa Songs From The Black Hills (Dakota Sioux)
2. Eli Secody Sunrise Love – Happiness with Wifey Over Coffee (Navajo)
3. Gabriel Ayala Portraits (Yaqui)
4. Golana First Light (Cherokee)
5. JJ Kent Ta Te’ Topa Win (Lakota)
6. Michael Bucher Bitter Tears Sacred Ground (Oneida/Cherokee)

O. BEST NATIVE AMERICAN CHURCH RECORDING
1. Faith Kevin Yazzie (Navajo Dine’)
2. Humbly We Pray Delbert Blackhorse (Navajo)
3. Peyote Ways Primeaux & Mike (Sioux/Navajo)
4. Songs of Strength & Beauty Monroe/ByJoe/Turtle/Egawa (Navajo/S Cheyenne/Lummi)
5. The Gift of Life Nikki Begay (Navajo)
6. Thoughts & Prayers Maxine & Guy Tishie (Navajo)

P BEST NEW AGE RECORDING
1. Deep Within Tony Redhouse (Dine)
2. Generations Brian Hammill (HoChunk)
3. Lakota Piano II Brule’ (Lower Brule’ Sioux)
4. Sacred Space Douglas Blue Feather (Cherokee)
5. Songs From The Black Hills Bryan Akipa (Dakota Sioux)
6. Talisman R. Carlos Nakai (Navajo Dine’)

Q BEST POP RECORDING
1. A Change Is Gonna Come Jana Mashonee (Lumbee)
2. Anywhere Leanne Goose (Dene/Inuvialuit)
3. Jace Martin Jace Martin (Mohawk)
4. Na Unu Nahai (Shape Shifter) Apryl Allen (Comanche)
5. No Rez—Ervations Matthew S. Montour (Mohawk-Kahnawake)
6. To Walk In Beauty Spirit Wing (Munsee)

R BEST POW WOW RECORDING
1. Band of Brothers Midnite Express (Ojibway, Sioux, Menominee, Ho-Chunk, Taos Pueblo, Algonquin)
2. Bring Your Feathers In Black Stone (Cree)
3. Faith, Loyalty & Love Youngbird (Pawnee)
4. November Winds Northern Wind (Ojibway)
5. Red Rock Northern Cree (Cree)
6. Spo Mo Tiin Nan Black Lodge (Blackfeet)

S BEST PRODUCER
1. Charles Button & Will Clipman Here & Now
2. Eddie Weber Songs of Strength & Beauty
3. Kelly Parker Out Of The Blue
4. Robert Doyle Talisman
5. Stevie Salas Be What It Is
6. Wolf’s Robe aka Flute Man Ancient Dreams

T BEST RAP / HIP HOP RECORDING
1. All Day All Night Rezhogs (Yakama)
2. The Backside Chase Manhattan (Muscogee Creek, Ojibwe)
3. Native Anthem (Yall Aint Know) Sandy & Chris Hunt, Kash Kow, Lou Nice, Chief, Stoney Creek, Charly Lowry, Aaron Locklear
4. Bluelight Quese Imc (Pawnee/Seminole)
5. The World & Everything In It Team Rezofficial (Cree)
6. Talisman Wasted Talent N8 (Yakama)

U RECORD OF THE YEAR
1. Bitter Tears Sacred Ground Joanne Shenandoah Michael Bucher (Oneida/Cherokee)
2. Earth Gift Kevin Locke (Lakota/Hunkpapa & Anishinaabe)
3. Na Unu Nahai (Shape Shifter) Apryl Allen (Comanche)
4. Songs From The Black Hills Bryan Akipa (Dakota Sioux)
5. Songs of the Navajo James Peshlaka (Navajo)
6. The Looking Wolf Project Jan Michael Looking Wolf (Kalapuya)

V BEST ROCK RECORDING
1. Be What It Is Stevie Salas (Apache)
2. Harley High Jim Boyd (Colville Confedeated Tribes)
3. Just Another Show Tritt Smith (Navajo)
4. Sirensong Eagle & Hawk (Ojibway)
5. Trial By Design Thirtyseven featuring Gregg Analla (Isleta/Laguna Pueblo)
6. Walking The Life Road Jimmy Shendo & Moiety (Jemez Pueblo)

W SONG/SINGLE OF THE YEAR
1. A Change Is Gonna Come Jana Mashonee & Derek Miller (Lumbee)
2. Indian Reservation Michael Searching Bear (Cherokee)
3. Native Americana Keith Secola (Ojibway/Anishnabe)
4. Na Unu Nahai (Shape Shifter) Apryl Allen (Comanche)
5. Riding Free Joanne Shenandoah (Oneida)
6. Witchi Tai To – Joy Harjo (Muskoke)

X SONGWRITER OF THE YEAR
1. Chris Tomes & John Lone Eagle Soothing Spirits (Apache)
2. Darryl Tonemah Ink Blots and Random Thoughts (Kiowa/Comanche/Tuscarora)
3. Jace Martin Jace Martin (Mohawk)
4. Gary Small I Don’t Play By The Rules (Northern Cheyenne)
5. Kris DeLorenzi & Jonathan Maracle The Father’s Dance
6. Samantha Crain The Confiscation: A Musical Novella (Choctaw)

Y BEST SPOKEN WORD RECORDING
1. Gift of the Grandchildren Mac Lopez & Grandaughter Kendra Muro (Shoshone/Cherokee)
2. Now Is The Time Sapokniona Whitefeather (Apache)
3. Songs of the Navajo James Peshlaka (Navajo)
4. The Great Story From The Sacred Book Rain Song/Terry & Darlene Wildman (Ojibwe/Yaqui)
5. The Story Tellers Ancient Wisdom (Abnaki)
6. These Were Their Words Red Hawk (United Cherokee)

Z BEST TRADITIONAL RECORDING
1. It Is A New Day Oshkii Giizhik Singers (Intertribal)
2. Kontiwennenháwi(Carriers of Words) Ratirista Kehronon – Skywalkers (Awkesasne Mohawk)
3. Lenape Spirits Wind Spirit Drum (Cherokee/Mic Mac/Lenape)
4. Lietsoiitah Ye’ii Bi Cheii Lietsoiitah Ye’ii Bi Cheii Singers (Navajo)
5. Okeymow Maskiki II Shanise (Cree)
6. Traditional Shoe Game Songs Porcupine Singers (Navajo)

AA BEST SHORT OR LONG FORM MUSIC VIDEO
1. A Change Is Gonna Come Jana Mashonee (Lumbee)
2. Don’t Forget About Me Michael Bucher (Cherokee)
3. I Am Donna Kay (Mètis)
4. Movin On Charly Lowry/Aaron Locklear (Lumbee)
5. Life Is Calling My Name Shane Yellowbird (Cree)
6. The Legend of Tillamook’s Gold Jan Michael Looking Wolf & Floyd Westerman

BB BEST WORLD MUSIC RECORDING
1. Allegro Gabriel Ayala (Yoeme)
2. Ceremony Michael Searching Bear (Cherokee)
3. Portraits Gabriel Ayala (Yaqui)
4. Tango! Gabriel Ayala (Yoeme)
5. Tribal Music Suite, Journey of a Paiute Arvel Bird (Southern Paiute)
6. Winding Through The Milky Way Joy Harjo (Muskoke)

CC NATIVE HEART (Non-Native Artist)
1. Gary F. Leatham Resonance Ancient Sounds
2. Colby Thomas Colby Thomas Sings Molly Brant
3. Jan Seiden Memory Of Time
4. Jonny Lipford Cross Roads: The Beginning of a Brand New Day
5. Michael Brant DeMaria Siyotanka
6. Scott Tweedie Seeking Vision

Maine Indian Scalps Offered On Craigslist

Just when we feel that American's horrifyingly wicked history has been somewhat smoothed over is when we have some complete idiot remind us of our true heritage. As Friends of Native America group, I feel that you need to hear this Associated Press release that was published in the latest Cherokee Phoenix newspaper. The American Indian Wars are still taking place today, but without bullets. Let's hope that this seller called Whitely Bradford is found, tried and penalized!

'Maine Indian scalps' offered on Craigslist

By The Associated Press

PORTLAND, Maine (AP) — The FBI is investigating craigslist.com posts selling "Maine Indian scalps" to "white people only" after the leader of the Penobscot Indian Nation reported the matter to state and federal officials.

The Portland Press Herald reports the postings discussed six scalps and related artifacts obtained by bounty hunters in the 1700s and came from a private family collection.

The posts, no longer accessible, included a Maine cell phone number and the name, "Whitely Bradford." The phone was not accepting calls.

Federal investigators and Penobscot leaders have proceeded under the assumption that the scalps are legitimate. Penobscot Chief Kirk Francis says it's a hard time for the tribe to look back on, and to be reminded of it so blatantly — and then see someone profit from it — doesn't sit well.

Smithsonian Institute's Between Fences Museum Exhibit

Photography Courtesy of ©Nativestock Pictures

Communities across America will be hosts to the Smithsonian's traveling exhibit "Between Fences" as a part of the institutes Museum on Main Street series.

We live between fences. We may hardly notice them, but they are dominant features in our lives and in our history. Thousands of types have been invented, millions of miles have been produced, and countless rivals have seized post, rail, panel, and wire to stake their claims. In 1871, the Department of Agriculture estimated the total value of fences in the United States at 1.7 billion, a sum almost equal to the national debt. Our past is defined by the cutting point of barbed steel and the staccato rhythm of the white picket. Built of hedge, concrete, wood and metal, the fence skirts our properties and is central to the American landscape.

One of these hosting sites in Idaho will be the Ketchum Community Library who will be featuring an assortment of speakers. One presentation in particular, titled "Red Earth, White Fences" is a multimedia slide show by award winning photographer Angel Wynn. Documenting Native American communities is her passion and business. Wynn's focus is to reveal how fencing the west nearly destroyed America's First Nations and how tribal communities are managing today. "Generally, I'm trying to avoid fences and other objects while taking pictures", says Wynn, "so trying to dig up any buried images was way more difficult than expected." Wynn also added, "Historically, American Indians did have boundary markers. Traditionally they used the mountains, rivers and distinct landmarks that acted as fences to marked their territory."

The United States as we know it could not have been settled and built without fences; they continue to be an integral part of the nation. Fences stand for security: we use them to enclose our houses and neighborhoods. They are decorative structures that are as much part of the landscape as trees and flowers. Industry and agriculture without fences would be difficult to imagine. Private ownership of land would be an abstract concept. But fences are more than functional objects. They are powerful symbols. The way we define ourselves as individuals and as a nation becomes concrete in how we build fences.

It examines human relationships on an expanding scale: neighbor to neighbor.

Between Fences is about defining ourselves as Americans- our philosophies, our lifestyles, our values and beliefs.