The singing to and performing of ritual entry, finale and flag songs is a matter of great privilege. The structure of the pow-wow is more or less determined by these items, and they therefore determine the course of the entire event. The Grand Entry, for instance is the arrival of all the people entering the arena. This originally was a parade through the town the pow-wow was in. The flags that are displayed and carried during the flag songs include the US flag, tribal flags, POW flag, and eagle staffs of various tribes present, and are usually carried by veterans. The title of the ‘finale songs is, of course, self explanatory - they signify the successful culmination of the pow-wow.

Amongst the Omaha Indians, every song and dance has special significance. The tracks included on this innovative CD from A2ZCDS have been specifically selected for their traditional relevance to the 1983 pow-wow at Macy, Nebraska, at which they were recorded.

Grand Entry Songs

In their most basic sense, the words and spirit of one of these songs state - "Our relatives are making their way into the arena. God, please watch over us." The words also include "Pity us, and look at us, and watch over us." It was originally meant as a hunting song and intended to convey the hunters’ observations along the way. At the Omaha Indians pow-wow, the lead dancer headed the procession carrying an American flag.


Flag Songs

This group of songs honors the guests and distinguished delegates at the pow-wow. The words of various songs handle this from various angles - one of them could be translated as, "When you went overseas, you made a stand so that the flag could be raised." The Tai Piah singers, traditional participants at such events in Omaha, also rendered songs pertaining to other tribes. For instance, one of the tracks on this CD is a Sioux anthem that translates, "The enemies are coming. The horses are holding back. They don't want to go to fight the enemy."


Grand Finale Songs

The conclusion of the pow-wow ceremony is as formal and festive as its beginning. In fact, the observer is at no point left in any doubt about which stage the event is at. The Grand Finale Songs signify a satisfactory end to the pow-wow, with words that include, "Stand up. We are going out." Some of these concluding songs also focused on the womenfolk, being predominantly for social dances. As such, women chose partners and couples danced side-by-side in a continuous line or joined hands and danced in a circle.


The songs featured on the Omaha Indians Music: Entry, Finale and Flag Songs CD represent the most traditional aspects of the 1983 pow-wow at Macy, Nebraska.

Listen to Samples:

To hear a song sample, click on the "Listen ."

TRACK	RUNNING TIME	MP3
1. Grand Entry Song - I	00:07:38	Listen
2. Flag Song - I	00:02:44	Listen
3. The enemies are coming	00:02:22
4. Horse Song	00:03:15
5. When you went overseas	00:02:22
6. Grand Finale Song - I	00:01:08
7. Grand Entry Song - II	00:09:14
8. Flag Song	00:03:00
9. Grand Finale Song - II	00:01:37
10. Grand Entry Song - III	00:09:14
11. Flag Song - II	00:02:01
12. When you went overseas	00:02:29
13. Grand Finale Song - III	00:01:14
14. Grand Entry Song - IV	00:08:31
15. Flag Song - III	00:02:06

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EDITORIAL REVIEW:

From available records, an interesting background of Joseph La Flesche (1822-1888) emerges. He was born on the Omaha Reservation near Bellevue, Nebraska. His father was Chief ‘Iron Eyes’, and his mother sent Joseph to live among the Sioux, where he naturally absorbed some of their traditions. In the course of an eventful life, he also learned French, married the daughter of an Iowa chief - and met the ethnographer Alice Fletcher. In conjunction with this woman, considered one of the foremost authorities on her chosen field of interest in her day, he also compiled the legendary book The Omaha Tribe. Although Joseph has embraced Christianity by then, he still ascribed enormous significance to the customs and practices of his native tribe. The music contained in the Omaha Indians Music CD series from A2ZCDS is the result of their groundbreaking combined efforts to revive the eroding traditional value attached to the music of his people.

Joseph La Flesche believed that the cultural survival of his people depended on their ability to make a transition to the non-Indian world. The annual pow-wow held in Macy, Nebraska, had always been a sort of closed affair. However, the American government had decided to ceremoniously return the original wax cylinder recordings of the Omaha people’s music, made by Alice Fletcher and La Flesche, to the tribe at the time of the 1983 event. The songs included on the Omaha Indians Music - Entry, Finale and Flag Songs CD showcase some of the most ritual-based aspects of Omaha music - and therefore signify the fact that Joseph La Flesche earnest attempts to preserve the traditions of his tribe have not been in vain. In context, with such a background, listening to this music is a moving and thought-provoking experience.

CUSTOMER'S REVIEWS:

"My grandfather was a secretary at the Bureau of Indian Affairs, and we have had plenty of exposure to Indian tribes because of that. They are a fascinating people. I have not had the personal fortune of actually attending one of these pow-wows myself, but this CD (Omaha Indians Music - Entry, Finale and Flag Songs CD) successfully brings out the force of such an events. Thanks, A2ZCDS - a commendable effort at cultural preservation."

Customer's Name: Julian Kellogg (Sacramento, California)