"By this Song I Walk"


As one of the assignments for this course had us watching videos of Native Americans, I encountered a video of a cultural walking song performed by Mr. Andrew Natonabah of the Navajo tribe. The song is entitled, “By this Song I Walk”. The song is structured repetitively, with different verses all returning to the same chorus line. I could see how the rhythm of the song made it an ideal song to walk to.

In watching and listening to Natonabah’s “By this Song I Walk”, I was struck by the endurance of the language and culture. I had not expected such continuity. It was impressive and pleasing to watch. I noticed that the song connects the singer to the land and the elements, as well as to God. These themes are what I’d expect of a Native song. I was also taken by the style in which he spoke to the children about the historical cite they were in. There was a cadence to his speech, as if he was still singing or repeating by rote. There was definitely an element of ritual to the communication. I’m guessing that what he was telling the children might fall under the category of “story” as referenced in other texts, story being of utmost importance to the continuity of tribal material. I very much identified with the sacredness of the telling. I can see how such communications might preserve traditions from generation to generation.


References
Words & Place. Accessed May 18, 2017. http://parentseyes.arizona.edu/wordsandplace/natonabah.html

Comments

  1. Prof. Nicole NesbergMay 23, 2017 at 6:46 PM

    Hi Batsheva, I'm glad you found the beauty in this song. The Navajo were one of the last tribes forced on reservation and as such have retained much of there culture. I am posting a few photos of a Navajo friend of mine to show a bit more of the traditional dress. NN

    ReplyDelete
  2. Gary HogateJune 2, 2017 at 3:37 PM

    Hi Batsheva.
    The song you chose was a very powerful song indeed. Following along with English subtitles allowed me to grasp the language meaning and understanding of the pronunciations. I don't know about you, but I felt as if I was "picking up" on some of the words, at least the main line, hence pulling me deeper into the song.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Batsheva ShomerJune 5, 2017 at 4:41 PM

      Hi Gary, I also felt like I was becoming more familiar with the repeating lines!

      Delete
  3. AnonymousSeptember 22, 2017 at 7:13 PM

    I thought it was great that the song acknowledged all life big small plant and animal. Something that we need to as a culture be more mindful of and thankful for in our daily lives .It could be argues that all creatures on this earth have a purpose and and job to do .

    ReplyDelete

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