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20 Why Do the Innu Sing Popular Music? Reflections on Cultural Assertion and Identity Movements in Music

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Aboriginal Music in Contemporary
This chapter is in the book Aboriginal Music in Contemporary
We are currently witnessing a renewal and a recognition of an Abor-iginal movement in Quebec, in Canada, and in the world. Internation-ally, this movement falls under a political climate of decolonization, of recognition of cultural diversity, and of increased rights of minorities, all of which have, over the course of the twentieth century, allowed for a rec-ognition of Aboriginal peoples’ rights to self-determination. This is most evident in the 2007 United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigen-ous People. These contemporary movements are complemented by cul-tural revitalization and by revalorizing social healing processes,1 in which Aboriginal people turn to their roots, their traditions, and their elders to build a unique Indigenous place in the world, transcending past experi-ences to live fully in the present and the future (Frisbie 2001, 492). New forms of Aboriginal music are an integral part of this process (Diamond, Cronk, and von Rosen1994, 12). They are used as cultural emblems, as instruments of resistance, and as a means to assert contemporary con-cerns, and they reinforce a distinct identity vis-à-vis dominant societies (Nettl 1992). These music forms combine Aboriginal and Euro-American elements, the traditional and the modern, the local and the global. Ab-original popular music is a particularly interesting example of appropria-tion and indigenization processes (Friedman 1994, Appadurai 2001). In this music, we see the importance of revitalization and identity as well as the potential for action and transformation through personal and col-lective expressions and through voiced criticism of social problems. This music contributes dynamically to movements of identity and cultural as-sertion as well as to healing in Aboriginal circles. Why Do the Innu Sing Popular Music? Reflections on Cultural Assertion and Identity Movements in MusicvéroniQue Audet20
© McGill-Queen’s University Press

We are currently witnessing a renewal and a recognition of an Abor-iginal movement in Quebec, in Canada, and in the world. Internation-ally, this movement falls under a political climate of decolonization, of recognition of cultural diversity, and of increased rights of minorities, all of which have, over the course of the twentieth century, allowed for a rec-ognition of Aboriginal peoples’ rights to self-determination. This is most evident in the 2007 United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigen-ous People. These contemporary movements are complemented by cul-tural revitalization and by revalorizing social healing processes,1 in which Aboriginal people turn to their roots, their traditions, and their elders to build a unique Indigenous place in the world, transcending past experi-ences to live fully in the present and the future (Frisbie 2001, 492). New forms of Aboriginal music are an integral part of this process (Diamond, Cronk, and von Rosen1994, 12). They are used as cultural emblems, as instruments of resistance, and as a means to assert contemporary con-cerns, and they reinforce a distinct identity vis-à-vis dominant societies (Nettl 1992). These music forms combine Aboriginal and Euro-American elements, the traditional and the modern, the local and the global. Ab-original popular music is a particularly interesting example of appropria-tion and indigenization processes (Friedman 1994, Appadurai 2001). In this music, we see the importance of revitalization and identity as well as the potential for action and transformation through personal and col-lective expressions and through voiced criticism of social problems. This music contributes dynamically to movements of identity and cultural as-sertion as well as to healing in Aboriginal circles. Why Do the Innu Sing Popular Music? Reflections on Cultural Assertion and Identity Movements in MusicvéroniQue Audet20
© McGill-Queen’s University Press

Chapters in this book

  1. Front Matter i
  2. Contents vii
  3. list of tables and figures xi
  4. Acknowledgments xiii
  5. Introduction 3
  6. Recent Studies of First Nations, Inuit, and Métis Music in Canada 10
  7. Innovating Tradition
  8. Continuity and Innovation in the Dane–ẕaa Dreamers’ Song and Dance Tradition: A Forty–Year Perspective 31
  9. From Tea Dance to iTunes: Recomposing Dane–ẕaa Dreamers’ Songs 61
  10. Localizing Intertribal Traditions: The Powwow as Mi’kmaw Cultural Expression 70
  11. Contemporary Northern Plains Powwow Music: The Twin Influences of Recording and Competition 89
  12. Aboriginal Women and the Powwow Drum: Restrictions, Teachings, and Challenges 109
  13. Teaching and Transmission
  14. The sound of what I hear on earth 133
  15. Reflecting on Reflexivity: Teaching and Conducting Research in an Inuit Community 150
  16. Moose Trails and Buffalo Tracks: Métis Music and Aboriginal Education in Canada 174
  17. One Strong Woman: Finding Her Voice, Finding Her Heritage 194
  18. Learning about and Supporting Aboriginal Music and Culture: A Personal Journey 206
  19. Cultural Interactions and Negotiations
  20. Intercultural Collaboration 218
  21. Listening to the Politics of Aesthetics: Contemporary Encounters between First Nations/Inuit and Early Music Traditions 222
  22. Musical Form as Theatrical Form in Native Canadian Stage Plays: Moving through the Third Space 249
  23. Music and Narrative in The Unnatural and Accidental Women 271
  24. Music, Religion, and Healing in a Mi’kmaw Community 281
  25. “No Heartaches in Heaven”: A Response to Aboriginal Suicide 300
  26. Arnie Strynadka, “The Uke–Cree Fiddler” 323
  27. Bits and Pieces of Truth: Storytelling, Identity, and Hip Hop in Saskatchewan 346
  28. Why Do the Innu Sing Popular Music? Reflections on Cultural Assertion and Identity Movements in Music 372
  29. Aboriginal Popular Music in Quebec: Influences, Issues, and Rewards 408
  30. Gilles Sioui: Supporting and Performing with Aboriginal Artists in Quebec 419
  31. Bibliography 431
  32. Interviews cited 467
  33. Internet Sites 469
  34. Discography 471
  35. Videography 475
  36. Contributors 477
  37. Index 487
Readers are also interested in:
https://doi.org/10.1515/9780773587120-023

Chapters in this book

  1. Front Matter i
  2. Contents vii
  3. list of tables and figures xi
  4. Acknowledgments xiii
  5. Introduction 3
  6. Recent Studies of First Nations, Inuit, and Métis Music in Canada 10
  7. Innovating Tradition
  8. Continuity and Innovation in the Dane–ẕaa Dreamers’ Song and Dance Tradition: A Forty–Year Perspective 31
  9. From Tea Dance to iTunes: Recomposing Dane–ẕaa Dreamers’ Songs 61
  10. Localizing Intertribal Traditions: The Powwow as Mi’kmaw Cultural Expression 70
  11. Contemporary Northern Plains Powwow Music: The Twin Influences of Recording and Competition 89
  12. Aboriginal Women and the Powwow Drum: Restrictions, Teachings, and Challenges 109
  13. Teaching and Transmission
  14. The sound of what I hear on earth 133
  15. Reflecting on Reflexivity: Teaching and Conducting Research in an Inuit Community 150
  16. Moose Trails and Buffalo Tracks: Métis Music and Aboriginal Education in Canada 174
  17. One Strong Woman: Finding Her Voice, Finding Her Heritage 194
  18. Learning about and Supporting Aboriginal Music and Culture: A Personal Journey 206
  19. Cultural Interactions and Negotiations
  20. Intercultural Collaboration 218
  21. Listening to the Politics of Aesthetics: Contemporary Encounters between First Nations/Inuit and Early Music Traditions 222
  22. Musical Form as Theatrical Form in Native Canadian Stage Plays: Moving through the Third Space 249
  23. Music and Narrative in The Unnatural and Accidental Women 271
  24. Music, Religion, and Healing in a Mi’kmaw Community 281
  25. “No Heartaches in Heaven”: A Response to Aboriginal Suicide 300
  26. Arnie Strynadka, “The Uke–Cree Fiddler” 323
  27. Bits and Pieces of Truth: Storytelling, Identity, and Hip Hop in Saskatchewan 346
  28. Why Do the Innu Sing Popular Music? Reflections on Cultural Assertion and Identity Movements in Music 372
  29. Aboriginal Popular Music in Quebec: Influences, Issues, and Rewards 408
  30. Gilles Sioui: Supporting and Performing with Aboriginal Artists in Quebec 419
  31. Bibliography 431
  32. Interviews cited 467
  33. Internet Sites 469
  34. Discography 471
  35. Videography 475
  36. Contributors 477
  37. Index 487
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