Indian Games and Dances with Native Songs

Name: Indian Games and Dances with Native Songs
Author: Alice C. Fletcher

By Alice C. Fletcher

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About This Book

An ethnographic collection presents Native American ceremonial dances, vocal melodies, and traditional games, accompanied by explanatory introductions on cosmology, musical function, and social context. It includes staged dramatizations such as a multi-part corn life cycle, festival dances, and songs with supplied English lyrics to convey meanings obscured in fragmentary indigenous vocables. Sections catalogue hazard, guessing, and ball games and offer ceremonial practices for naming children and camps. Musical notes describe the primacy of melody and rhythm, the role of the drum and vocables, and methods for adapting songs for performance. The arrangements aim to make ceremonial expressions accessible for educational participation while preserving ritual spirit.

About the Author

Alice C. Fletcher

Alice C. Fletcher was an American ethnologist and author known for her pioneering work in the study of Native American cultures. She dedicated much of her life to documenting and preserving the traditions, songs, and dances of Indigenous peoples in North America. Her notable works include "Indian Games and Dances with Native Songs," which explores the cultural significance of traditional games and dances, and "Indian Story and Song, from North America," a collection that highlights the rich oral traditions of Native American storytelling. Fletcher's contributions have been instrumental in fostering a greater understanding of Native American heritage.