Laughing Otter

Hi! I am a member of a new drum family called "Medicine River". We try our best to stick to the old ways and do things in a good way. Our drum keeper is Wyndot and hasn't been able to find a Wyndot Flag Song. His wife and two sons are Cherokee. If anyone could help us find a Wyndot or Cherokee Flag Song we would be most grateful.

Thank you,
Laughing Otter

BeadMan

There is a Cherokee Flag song. They have sung it for the past few years at the Cherokee National Holiday Powwow in Tahlequah, OK. It is all vocables and I think it was composed by one of the Kiowas living in the area (go figure) so it is a southern style song. The Cherokee powwow culture is very interesting. I don't have a recording of the song, but I might be able to obtain one.

As for Wyendott, I don't know.

BPlenty

A Wyandot flag song does exist as I've heard it sung at one pow wow before, but never again since. I have no idea how to get ahold of a recording of this song, but a good starting place would be some elder singers in the Wyandott nation.

I've never heard the vocable Cherokee flag song that Beadman refers to, but I have heard a "Cherokee Flag Song" with Tsalagi words sung and composed by one of the now-defunct local drums in Cherokee, NC. I believe the person who composed that song is Jon Jon Toineeta, but not 100% sure on that. However, while its a flag song that its the Cherokee language and was written by an Eastern Band member, I wouldn't say its a Cherokee Flag Song because its not one that is used by Cherokees universally and was pretty much sung by just that one group. I think that's a different situation than say the Lakota National Anthem written by Ben Black Bear Sr. and Chris Eagle Hawk in the 50s which is pretty much a universal "flag song" for Lakota people. Just my two cents.

Gray Fawn

Hi, I hope you don't mind a women putting her two cents in here. There is a Cherokee Flag song sung and composed by Cedertree Singers. The words are in Cherokee. Our group has permission to sing this song. Our drum (southern) is all Cherokee except for one Lakota. We sing this and the Cherokee Veterens Song which also has Cherokee words. You could talk to Micheal Rose from Cedertree to see if you could get permission to sing this.
The song that is composed by the Kiowa man I believe you are referring to the Cherokee War Dance that was written by Jack Anquoe (sp)He is a Kiowa man who's wife I believe was Cherokee. He composed it to honor that family and the Cherokee people. We also sing this song and it is all vocables.
Hope this helps.

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Gray Fawn (usgolv sagoniga wana)