Music of the Pawnee

This album contains songs from the Pawnee, whose historic territory stretches through much of Nebraska and into Kansas, though most Pawnee were relocated to Oklahoma. Regina “Gene” Weltfish (1902–1980), a student of anthropologist Franz Boas, began studying Pawnee culture and linguistics in 1928 and published The Lost Universe: Pawnee Life and Culture in 1965. Mark Evarts, a Pawnee, was Weltfish’s principal informant on a wide variety of topics including the classification of plants, Pawnee definitions of bravery, and his native Skidi language. He also sings the 45 songs on the album, recorded in 1936. Details of Pawnee traditions, entertainment, and culture are included in the liner notes, as well as details of each of the tracks, translated and interpreted by Weltfish.

Track Listing

101	Bear Song of Peter Wood / Old Hand Game Song / Ghost Dance Hand Game Song (medley)	Mark Evarts	04:09
102	War Song: First Council with U.S. / War Song: Sioux Attack on Pawnee / War Song: Horse Raiding Expedition / War Song: Pawnee Raid on Cheyenne (medley)	Mark Evarts	03:03
103	Love Song / Man's Love Song / Woman's Love Song 1 / Woman's Love Song 2 / Woman's Love Song 3 / Peyote Song (medley)	Mark Evarts	04:29
104	Buffalo Dance Song 1 / Buffalo Dance Song 2 / Hoop and Pole Game Song / Greetings, Mother Earth / Baby Stop Crying, Look Upward at Father Sky! (medley)	Mark Evarts	03:46
105	Deer Dance Song: Mescal Bean 1 / Deer Dance Song: Morning Star / Deer Dance Song: Spring / Deer Dance Song: Mescal Bean 2 (medley)	Mark Evarts	03:49
201	Deer Dance Song: Assa-taka, White Horse / Deer Dance Song: Ely Shotwell / Deer Dance Song: Tirahuru, Scalps the Enemy / Deer Dance Song: Pitsu'u, Reaches the Enemy (medley)	Mark Evarts	03:48
202	Deer Dance Song: David Akapakis / Deer Dance Song: Skiri Jake / Deer Dance Song: Sky-Blessed / Mother's Song to Her Child / Old Hand Game Song (medley)	Mark Evarts	04:27
203	Doctor's Hypnotism Song to Punish Recalcitrant Member / Father Chicken Hawk / Doctor's Song of Sitting Hawk / Military Society: One Horn Society / Military Society: Young Dog Society (medley)	Mark Evarts	03:55
204	Sacred Bundle Song to the Evening Star / Sacred Bundle Song to the Morning Star / Awari Dance Song: Planting / Awari Dance Song: Nuturing / Awari Dance Song: Transplanting (medley)	Mark Evarts	04:01
205	Military Society: Hatuxka Lance Society / Wolf War Raid / Military Society: Horse Society / Story of the Wolf and the Scalped Man (medley)	Mark Evarts	04:07