Beautiful Beyond: Christian Songs in Native Languages

Presented by the Smithsonian’s National Museum of the American Indian. This anthology of hymns and songs from Native American communities throughout the United States demonstrates how music has helped to preserve and perpetuate Native languages. Singers from the Southeast to the Plains and from the Southwest to Alaska and Hawai’i demonstrate the dynamic interplay between language and faith, and show the importance placed on the singing of these songs in keeping alive the culture embodied in their Native languages.

RELATED LESSON PLAN
"Trail of Tears: Music of the American Indian Diaspora"

RELATED VIDEOS
Performance of "Orphan Child"

Track Listing

101	Comanche Hymn	Members of Petarsey Church (Comanche)	02:14
102	Comanche Hymn	Members of Petarsey Church (Comanche)	01:48
103	Kiowa Prayer Song	Dorothy Whitehorse DeLaune	00:39
104	Kiowa Hymn	Members of Cedar Creek Church (Kiowa)	02:33
105	Kiowa Hymn by Goomdah	Members of Rainy Mountain Church (Kiowa)	02:55
106	Cheyenne Hymn	Moses Starr, Creg Lee Hart (Southern Cheyenne)	02:43
107	Lord Have Mercy (from Tewa Mass)	Tewa Indian Women's Choir	01:14
108	Lord I Call	St. Herman’s Seminary Octet (Yup’ik)	00:56
109	Having Beheld the Resurrection	St. Herman’s Seminary Octet (Yup’ik)	01:21
110	Blessed Be Thy Name	St. Herman’s Seminary Octet (Yup’ik)	00:47
111	Ke Aloha O Ka Haku: Lili’uokalani’s Prayer	Nalani Olds (Native Hawai’ian)	01:56
112	Ho’onani	Nalani Olds and Mauliola Aspelund (Native Hawai’ian)	00:50
113	Silent Night	Kykotsmovi Hopi Mennonite Church Choir	02:15
114	On the Beautiful Beyond	Oneida Hymn Singers	03:09
115	In the Sweet By and By	Ojibwe Hymn Singers	02:04
116	Rock of Ages	Maisie Shenandoah, Liz Robert, Joanne Shenandoah (Oneida)	03:12
117	Twill Be Glory By and By	The Martin Sisters (Mohawk/Six Nations Reserve)	03:00
118	Ise Iesos Sewenniio (Wedding Prayer Hymn)	Kathleen Thompson	02:45
119	Takwaienha (The Lord’s Prayer)	Akwesasne Mohawk Singers	02:49
120	Wonderful Place	Cherokee Choir	01:41
121	Orphan Child	Cherokee Choir and Cherokee National Youth Choir	02:36
122	That Heavenly Home	The Kingfisher Trio	02:26
123	Believing and Praying	Margaret Mauldin (Creek)	02:40
124	Sinners Can You Hate the Savior?	Choctaw Community Singers	02:39
125	Jesus Made the Road	Betty Mae Jumper	01:15
126	At the Cross	Nancy and Mark Brown (Eastern Band Cherokee)	01:32
127	Guide Me, Jehovah	Walker Calhoun (Eastern Band Cherokee)	02:34
128	Heavenly Home	The Long Family (Eastern Band Cherokee)	02:51
129	On the Jericho Road	Saved by Grace Choir (Navajo)	03:30
130	Amazing Grace	Saved by Grace Choir (Navajo)	01:32
131	Sweet Hour of Prayer	TeecNosPos Gospel Melody (Navajo)	03:04
132	Jesus Loves Even Me	Steve Emery (Cheyenne River Sioux)	01:46
133	Communion of the Saints	Cheyenne River Mountain Singers (Sioux)	02:59