TwoStepHunni7

Say-Go Nijoos (hello my friends)
My name is Tashina Williams and I am writing an article in my tribal newspaper about Eagle Whistles. We have only one carrier on our reservation and he is out of town. I'd like to know if anyone could tell me what they know about the whistles. Please tell me anything and everything you know. Anii-Shiik (Thank you) -Tashina

Singing Eagle

In my opinion, you need to wait for that one carrier to return home. He deserves enough respect to be the source in this article - if he is willing to speak about such things.

TwoStepHunni7

Thanks Singing Eagle, but my article is due next Friday and our carrier is gone to North Carolina until September . . . what should I do?!

Singing Eagle

I think that there are enough topics out there that you could write about something else until the carrier returns - can't you switch next month's story with this months? Seems like a better option to choose another topic instead of relying on the internet for information.

sookout sh'nob

This one guy and I were making a whistle together last week and he was talking to me about it. One teaching he shared was about whistling at drums. Someone should have a reason he said, for blowing that whistle. The thunderbirds come down when that whistle is blown and when they come and there is no reason to come. If there is no one to heal, those thunder beings might leave. He said that maybe if a person with a whistle did this enough, maybe those thunderbirds would stop responding to that whistle, or maybe the spirit inside of that whistle would leave, or maybe the person would loose that whistle. Use your fan instead, he said, save the whistle for when it is really needed if you can.

He did say, however, that someone could blow that thing till they collasped in the sweat lodge and that's cool. Apparently sweatlodge is a purpose. Heck, I even heard one time this guy explaining his cousin's sweetheart took off and his cousin was hurting, so he blew his whistle. So it looks like just about any reason will do, but we still have a good chuckle nearly every powwow about the guy with a broken heart ;)

Personally, I blow my whistle when it needs blowing. I can tell you about the first time I blew it at a drum. I danced up there and there was maybe half of the push up left and my friend was just leaving out of the area with his fan. the traditional dancers were all lined up and ready to go. the drum saw me dancing there with the whistle. The arena director gave me the nod and watched. I figure maybe that whole side of the arbor knew for sure what was about to happen.

Anyhow, the end of that song comes up. I go to blow and... nothing! heheheh, i didn't have the whistle blowing technique down and my fat tongue got in the way and just lil peep peep sounds caem out, like a baby chicken. To this day they tease me about chicken bone whistles.

Anyhow, that's what i want toshare right now. If you want to know about construction, there are articles all over the internet on bone whistle construction - usually about turkey bones.

TwoStepHunni7

Thanks for sharing sookout sh'nob . . . it kinda helped . . . And thanks for sharing Singing Eagle. . . .