Songs of power and prayer in the Columbia Plateau : the Jesuit, the medicine man, and the Indian hymn singer

Book

Songs of power and prayer in the Columbia Plateau : the Jesuit, the medicine man, and the Indian hymn singer / Chad Stephen Hamill.

Summary:

Publisher description: Songs of Power and Prayer in the Columbia Plateau explores the role of song as a transformative force in the twentieth century, tracing a cultural, spiritual, and musical encounter that upended notions of indigeneity and the rules of engagement for Indians and priests in the Columbia Plateau. In Chad Hamill's narrative, a Jesuit and his two Indian "grandfathers"--one a medicine man, the other a hymn singer--engage in a collective search for the sacred. The priest becomes a student of the medicine man. The medicine man becomes a Catholic. The Indian hymn singer brings indigenous songs to the Catholic mass. Using song as a thread, these men weave together two worlds previously at odds, realizing a promise born two centuries earlier within the prophecies of Circling Raven and Shining Shirt. This work reveals how song can bridge worlds: between the individual and Spirit, the Jesuits and the Indians. Whether sung in an indigenous ceremony or adapted for Catholic Indian services, song abides as a force that strengthens Native identity and acts as a conduit for power and prayer.

Record details

ISBN: 9780870716751
ISBN: 0870716751
ISBN: 9780870716768
ISBN: 087071676X
Physical Description: xiii, 169 pages, 4 pages of plates : illustrations ; 23 cm.
Publisher: Corvallis : Oregon State University Press, ©2012.

Content descriptions

Bibliography, etc. Note:: Includes bibliographical references (pages 154-159) and index.
Formatted Contents Note:: Power and prophecy in the Plateau -- Christians answer the call -- The old Indian hymns -- Song and power -- Gibson Eli -- Medicine and miracles -- The end and the afterlife.