musical instruments of the northwest coast indians

8/9/2019 Musical Instruments of the Northwest Coast Indians

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Musical Instruments of the

Northwest Coast Indians

Submitted by:-

Satyajit Dave

3rdYear Art History


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Contents

Introduction

Tradition of Music

Art in the Tradition of Music


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Introduction

The North West Indian tribes lived mainly on the sea coast

Due to their !eo!ra"hical location their entire li#e system $as

that o# a coastal li#e Their "rimary #ood $as #ish Due to this

they are credited #or bein! s%illed canoe ma%ers They $ere

also e&cellent $ood carvers and $ood $as used in abundance

to ma%e houses' canoes and also various arti#acts o# day to

day li#e The tirbes o# the North West $ere attributed as totem

tribes due to their so-called "ractices o# (lac% )a!ic and

Shamanism They used to have totem "illars outside their

houses These "illars could be around *+ #eet in hei!ht and

they can be "ainted or carved $ith human' bird or animal

#i!ures


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Tradition of Music

The music o# the indi!enous "eo"le o# the North$est ,oast is

lar!ely associated $ith ceremony and #east-!ivea$ays' %no$n

as "otlatches otlatches serve as o""ortunities to aid in

maintainin! social order by re!ulatin! the o$nershi" o# land'

title' ancestral names' and music' as $ell as to observe li#e

cycle chan!es.birth' "uberty' marria!e' anddeath The

transmission o# honor associated $ith these events is

traditionally mar%ed by ceremonial dances accom"anied by

son!s ro"rietary son!s and dances are "unctuated by e&tra-

musical e##ects "rovided by $histles' rattles' and s"eci#ic vocal

utterances Ty"ically' the sound o# $histles is associated $ith

the "resence o# s"irit bein!s ,ultural taboos surroundin! the

o$nershi" o# son!s and dances have remained intact into the

t$enty-#irst century' albeit $ith some leniency to accommodate

#or varyin! de!rees o# observance o# traditional li#e$ays

A customary element to the music o# the North$est ,oast is

the beat o# the drum/ ho$ever' unli%e the use o# drums on

the 0reat lains' the conce"t o# communal drummin! on a

sin!le lar!e instrument is not ty"ical in the aci#ic North$est

1ather' drummers are %no$n to con!re!ate and "layindividual hand drums to!ether The use o# a sin!le drum $as

traditionally isolated to a #e$ !rou"s' such as the

2$a%$a%a$a%$ 42$a%iutl5' $ho are %no$n to have used a

sin!le $ooden "lan% struc% by multi"le "layers As in other
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re!ions' the drum is used to be!in and to mar% certain "oints

$ithin a son! Some indi!enous "eo"le o# the North$est

,oast utili6e the drum to indicate the "resence o# s"irits 7or

e&am"le' a tremolo created by ra"idly stri%in! the drumheadcan be "erceived as an audible mani#estation o# a s"irit

bein!s "resence Aside #rom use $ithin the "otlatch settin!'

drums are em"loyed by shamans."o$er#ul individuals $ho

have the ability to move in the liminal s"ace bet$een this

$orld and others' communicatin! $ith s"irit !uides )any o#

the musical instruments used on the North$est ,oast can be

associated $ith shamanic "ractice 8#ten' a "hysical

re"resentation o# a shamans s"irit !uide is carved in the #orm

o# a rattle or $histle' as an e##i!y used to invo%e the s"irits

"o$er

Art in the Tradition of Music
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Traditional three-dimensional art o# the indi!enous "eo"le o#

the North$est ,oast can be characteri6ed as hi!hly scul"tural'includin! relie# and scul"ture in the round' $ith !eometrically

styli6ed totemic.memorial.symbols inte!rated into the

com"osition o# the "iece Similar "rinci"les !overn t$o- and

three-dimensional art o# the North$est ,oast 9lements

common to both include ovoid' ;-#orm' and #orm-line

#i!ures that constitute the majority o# a !iven $or% These

three s"eci#ic desi!n elements are combined to de#ine

anatomical #eatures' as $ell as ornament the outlyin! s"ace

When a""lied to three-dimensional art$or%' the

a#orementioned elements are ali!ned $ith the sur#ace

contours o# a !iven object 8#ten' "i!mentation de#ines' or in

some cases embellishes' scul"tural #i!uration A ty"ical "alette

includes red' blac%' and some variant o# !reen or blue

;ntil the ei!hteenth century' 9uro"ean "resence in the aci#ic

North$est $as erratic at best The resources and trade that

$ere available throu!hout the continent made it less "ressin!

to reach the $est coast' albeit a "erceived destination #or

many e&"lorers The "resence o# #orei!ners on the North$est

,oast' "rimarily 1ussian' in the ei!hteenth century contributed

!reatly to the traditional use o# color and dyein! methods

These ne$ly introduced innovations a##ected te&tile

"re"aration' as $ell as "i!ments used #or adornment on
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carved' three-dimensional objects.o# "articular interest is the

raven rattle illustrated here 1aven rattles' ritual clan objects

em"loyed #or various uses by their o$ners' de"ict the story o#

the 1aven $ho stole li!ht.symbolic o# %no$led!e.andbrou!ht it to humans The "ersoni#ication o# %no$led!e is

carved as ton!ues e&tendin! #rom the mouth o# one bein! to

another

Historically' the color blue $as not in use as a dye' as the

method #or "roducin! blue $as not "ossible throu!h natural

sources on the North$est ,oast ?@

7orei!n "resence in the North$est ,oast brou!ht $ith it

#orei!n aesthetics and mar%ets alon! $ith the introduction o#

trade materials' li%e dyes or dye-"roducts Native artists $ere

uic% to identi#y the #orei!ners "ro"ensity to collect and to

consume native cultural items and art$or% as curios As

#orei!n tra##ic became more "revalent in the re!ion.a result
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o# commercial tourism u" the coast o# North America headin!

to$ard the territory that $ould become Alas%a.9uro-

American cultural items abounded ,arved' scul"tural items'

li%e smo%in! "i"es and $al%in! stic%s' a""ealed to the"ree&istin! art #orms o# the native "eo"le

The mid-nineteenth-century carved ar!illite trade o# the Bueen

,harlotte Islands is an e&am"le o# this "henomenon Althou!h

ar!illite' a uniue ty"e o# blac% shale' is %no$n to have been

used minimally by the native inhabitants' a lucrative non-

native mar%et #irmly established the "ractice amon! the Haida

o# the Bueen ,harlotte Islands A small"o& outbrea% in =>C

decimated the "o"ulation o# the islands' e##ectively haltin! the

inter!enerational transmission o# traditional art #orms Ar!illite

served as an ideal medium #or re"licatin! #orms and "atterns

commonly #ound on material objects While artisans $ere

ca"able o# re"roducin! the "hysical a""earance o# centuries-

old' three-dimensional cultural objects 4albeit on a smaller

scale5' much o# the symbolism and stories inherent to the

#i!ures $ere lost This #act did not diminish the 9uro-American

desire to collect ar!illite scul"ture in myriad sha"es and si6es'

includin! a $estern 9uro"ean style duct #lute Additionally' the

"ractice o# ar!illite carvin! "resented Haida artists $ith an

o""ortunity to be!in reconstructin! lin%s to traditions o# their

"ast Three-dimensional objects #rom the re!ion' amon! them

rattles' drums' and $histles' are hi!hly "ri6ed #or their


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scul"tural innovation and #i!urative #orm-line com"osition by

native and non-native "eo"le

Whistle' =?th century(ritish ,olumbia/ North$est ,oast

Wood' "i!ment

Throu!hout the North$est ,oast' $histles o# varyin! sha"es and si6es are

used to au!ment the ritual music associated $ith dancin! This $histle is


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constructed o# t$o "ieces that have been lashed to!ether.the u""er

lashin! is no$ missin! A styli6ed human #ace is carved around the

cylindrical #orm' the mouth corres"ondin! to the duct $indo$ o# the $histle

i!ment has been used to intensi#y the !rooved sur#ace #eatures o# the

$histle )uch o# the dance traditions o# the re!ion incor"orate a de!ree o#trans#ormation/ $hether it is visually a""arent is inconseuential In some

instances' elaborate mas%s and re!alia are em"loyed to convey

trans#ormation' althou!h these are not reuisites #or s"iritual

transcendence The use o# $histles' sometimes dis!uised as "art o# a

dancers re!alia' is common to most dances Some $histles.lar!e and

small.em"loy bello$s to sound them and can consist o# multi"le $histles

lashed to!ether The sound "roduced by $histles ty"ically re"resents the

audible mani#estation o# s"irit bein!s' so' too' are $histles carved tovisually de"ict s"irit bein!s or ancestors


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Rattle' ca =>>+

Bueen ,harlotte Islands' (ritish ,olumbia/ Haida or Tsimshian

Wood' strin!' "i!ment

1attles li%e this $ere most li%ely used durin! dance rituals o# the Haida or

Tsimshian S"herical in sha"e $ith t$o diametrically o""osed #aces' this

$ooden rattle re"resents ty"ical carvin! o# North$est ,oast "eo"le'

e&hibitin! #orm-line carvin! in lo$ relie# The cuta$ay.dar%ened.sections

re"resent an eually si!ni#icant as"ect o# the com"osition Eo$-relie#

carvin! in this style ma%es a "lay on the relationshi" bet$een ne!ative and

"ositive s"ace 8ne side o# the rattle de"icts a #ace in uintessential #orm-

line ornament' $ith ovoid and ;-sha"ed reali6ations o# the s"ace bet$een

the #orm-lines The o""osite side o# the rattle de"icts a hoo%-nosed bird#i!ure' "ossibly a ha$% or raven' the nose "rotrudin! #rom the lo$ relie# o#

the #ace There is evidence o# red and blac% "i!ment as embellishment on

both sides o# the rattle' $hich is constructed in t$o "ieces carved to #orm a

hollo$ chamber Small holes carved near ed!es o# both "ieces are

threaded $ith ve!etal lacin! and "inned $ith iron nails to secure the t$o

halves to!ether' alon! $ith the $ra""in! at the base o# the handle


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Raven Rattle' =?th century

S%ide!ate' (ritish ,olumbia/ Haida

,edar' "ebbles' "olychrome

)ost o#ten associated $ith shamanic "ractices on the North$est ,oast'

raven rattles are held oriented $ith the birds bea% "ointin! do$n $henused in dance Additionally' rattles li%e this are used to channel a shamans

s"irit !uide and can be used in healin! ceremonies )uch o# the symbolism

associated $ith this rattle comments on the transmission o# "o$er #rom one

#i!ure to the ne&t.the raven to human%ind in !eneral 4as oral tradition

states5 and the %in!#isher to the "rone #i!ure on the ravens bac% The

"rone #i!ure is "ersoni#ied $ith a #ace o# a $ol#' "erha"s another !uide o#

the o$ner o# this rattle 1attles are considered e&tremely "ersonal objects

and bear s"eci#ic symbolism and "o$er %no$n only by those $hounderstand their meanin! As symbols o# "o$er' rattles are also %e"t by

clan leaders ,arved in t$o "ieces and assembled usin! $ooden "ins to

secure the halves' a rattle usually contains small stones or seeds

olychrome adornment e&hibits the "ale blue "i!mentation common durin!

the late nineteenth century It is common #or raven rattles to be #urther


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adorned $ith #eathers' #ur' and beads' "articularly alon! the seam o# the

t$o halves and at the handle base

Raven Rattle' =?th century

(ritish ,olumbia/ Tsimshian

Wood' "i!ment

The #orm o# this rattle is that o# a bird 4raven5 bearin! a totemic emblem on

its breast 8n the birds bac% are the #i!ures o# a shaman and a %in!#isher'

the mytholo!ical source o# the shamans su"ernatural "o$ers The #i!ures

are united by one ton!ue' $hich #orms the brid!e throu!h $hich the ma!ic#orce #lo$s


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Rattle' =?th century


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Bueen ,harlotte Islands' (ritish ,olumbia/ S%itta!etan or Haida

Wood' "i!ment

This rattle de"icts a !rinnin! mountain s"irit' "otentially that o# a bear The

s"irit $ould act as the intercessor #or the human #i!ure #ound bet$een the

ears The rattle re"resents the relationshi" bet$een the t$o and ho$ the

o$ner $ould de"end on the s"irit #or stren!th and !uidance


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Alas%a/ Sit%a

Wood' "i!ment

This unusual rattle de"icts a double-headed ea!le Animals de"icted on

North$est ,oast rattles $ere almost al$ays re"resentations o# those #ound

in the natural $orld The a""earance o# this rattle su!!ests contact

bet$een the indi!enous "eo"les o# the North$est ,oast and 1ussian

e&"lorers in the nineteenth century $ho $ould have carried $ith them

symbols o# the 1ussian im"erial double-ea!le emblem

musical instruments of the northwest coast indians

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