Throughout the Americas music, dance, and sound have been an essential part of the spiritual, cultural, and social lives of Native peoples. Native people have also been involved in various forms of popular music—from jazz and blues to folk, country, and rock.
Videos
Circle of Dance
October 6, 2012–April 14, 2019
National Museum of the American Indian in New York
Consistent across time and cultures is the use of the body to communicate and express—to tell stories, participate in the cycles of nature, mourn, pray, and celebrate.
Up Where We Belong: Native Musicians in Popular Culture
August 4, 2012–August 11, 2013
National Museum of the American Indian in New York
July 1, 2010–January 2, 2011
National Museum of the American Indian in Washington, D.C.
Highlights Native people who have been active participants in contemporary music. Russell "Big Chief" Moore (Gila River Indian Community), Rita Coolidge (Cherokee), Buffy Sainte-Marie (Cree), and the group Redbone are a just few of the Native performing artists who have had successful careers in popular music.