Representing the Indigenous Culture Through Music

The 1883 Code of Indian Offenses outlawed Indigenous practices including ceremonial songs and dances. It has been almost 50 years since the American Indian Religious Freedom Act was finalized and granted freedom for Indigenous artists to openly practice their craft; this passing of legislation allowed for future artists and bands like Bizhiki to exist.

Band Bizhiki, a multi-cultural group made up of vocalist Joe Rainey (Rad Lake Ojibwe), Dylan Bizhikiins Jennings (Lake Superior Ojibwe), and instrumentalist (Sean Carey), merges traditional Powwow drumming and vocals with modern sounds like guitars and electronic beats. The group members first met at the 2016 Eaux Claires Music Festival. Rainey said the formation of the group was a natural progression of trust and authenticity among the members. 

Along with the unique twists on traditional styles, Bizhiki incorporates visuals into their performances to highlight the culture and roots of the people the musical traditions originate. 

“It brings a small part of history. The pictures and the age of the pictures and the time frame they’re taken in it makes people think while they’re listening,” said Rainey. “It makes people really grasp what they’re hearing.”

Rainey hopes to bring more attention to Indigenous artists and Powwow music. 

“We’re proud to do it and there’s a lot more musicians and artists that are doing the very same thing. In our Powwow world, there’s a gap there and I think we’re bridging it,” said Rainey. “It’s just going to show how relevant Indigenous music is and with its relevancy comes space for it to live and thrive.”

Diversity in Classical Music

As Rainey said there are many musicians out there highlighting their cultures through music. Yet, there’s still a lack of diversity in many aspects of music. Traditionally, BIPOC musicians have faced exclusion in the world of classical music and performance. This history is prevalent today. According to The League of American Orchestras, 2.3% of surveyed orchestra musicians were Black, 4.6% were Hispanic, 11.7% were Asian, 2.1% were multiracial, 0.5% were American Indian, 0.2% were Native Hawaiian, and 78.6% were White. 

Organizations such as Crossing Borders Music work to bring music from oppressed cultures to uplift their artists and traditions in a classical setting. The organization takes the pieces to the community with free and accessible performances in local community spaces.

According to its website, the goal is to uplift BIPOC artists and introduce the community to new cultures through music. 

The organization was founded by Tom Clowes who spent years teaching western classical music in Haiti. It was the desire for Haitian composers and musicians to have more exposure that inspired Clowes to establish the organization.  

“When Crossing Borders Music first started and we said we play music by Haitian composers, that didn’t typically register with people. They had a hard time understanding what that meant and there was a disconnect to understand that there are and have been for years composers for western classical instruments that are Haitian.”

The organization has featured work from Haiti, the Chickasaw Nation, Colombia, Syria, Uganda, and African-American artists. 

Through the work of Bizhiki, Crossing Borders Music and the hundreds the artists working together, the traditions of underrepresented communities are moving further in the music world.