Reference no: EM133658039

Question

Crawford and Hamberlin outline three main difficulties in studying Native American culture. First, due to the loss of populations, we lack the original diversity that existed among the North American indigenous peoples.[1] The tragedies of disease, relocation, and massacres largely limited the ability to study the diverse Native American tribes that existed before European settlement in North America. Second, "distortions in transcriptions" also limit the ability to study Native American music and limit our understanding to only one interpretation or recording of a song or style when actuality, there may have been many more or it was poorly recorded on the recording devices of the day.[2] Lastly, attempting to understand Native American music through only a Western music lens limits the ability to understand a music system that does not fit within the confines of Western music systems and cannot accurately produce the differences or what may be perceived as "distortions."[3] From a Christian worldview, music often accompanies traditions. In Native American culture music itself was given to individuals in visions or dreams.[4] That music given to an individual was sacred and was considered the cause of events that were needed or anticipated in the natural world such as the coming of rain or herds of animals for provision. In contrast, in the Christian worldview, faithful prayers may be offered by an individual, but it is God alone who hears prayers from His people and provides. Music may accompany prayers of petition or times of worship, but it is not the music itself that provides action for provision, it is active work from the powerful God, not earth spirits. "He showed you these things so you would know that the Lord is God and there is no other. (Deuteronomy 4:35, New Living Translation)."