Music Response

Of all the music tracks, I think “A Beautiful Life” by The Kingfisher Trio is my favorite. Having no translation of the lyrics makes no difference. I think this song reflects the clear connection between Indian culture and southern culture. The style reminds me of summer Sunday evening services at my grandparents’ church in Blythewood, South Carolina. Singing groups from across the state would come sing specials for a couple hours. Then, like all good Southern Baptists do, we followed the evening service with “food and fellowship,” which usually included homemade ice cream.
In his song, “Vision Quest,” Litefoot acknowledges and does not hide that there is dissension within tribes in addition to the oppression they have been under. Litefoot’s vision, which includes himself, a Cherokee, allusions to Crazy Horse of the Lakota, and Chief Joseph of the Nez Perce exemplifies the ability to cross tribal cultures and unite in his quest to “stop the prejudice, hate, and greed.”
I must admit I have never been terribly fond of the song by The Raiders. While it does offer that the Cherokees have survived in spite of the crap (to put it lightly) they have gone through, I feel that it fuels the misconception that most of us have already encountered with friends back home. The only way I can accept the misinformation regarding a Cherokee reservation is if it is sympathetic to other tribes who are actually on reservations. Also, the whole idea that the Cherokee Nation “will return” is off-putting. Hearing that makes me think of a people, a community, a government that had been completely dissolved, even in spirit. That is not characteristic of the Cherokee people. They have endured. So, I feel that “Indian Reservation” is not quite as empowering a song as it may have been intended.