Robbie Robertson
Music For The Native Americans

There were many Indian nations when the Mayflower landed on the East Coast. It is said there were hundreds, spread throughout the current United States and Canada, with just as many languages, customs, and traditions, but united by a single universal belief: one mother for all, the Earth, and one father, the Great Spirit. Not wanting to accept people whose skin and traditions were different from his own, the white man wiped it all away in a handful of years. But, every now and then, what is gone returns, and the grave delay with which we all approach 'other' cultures ends up producing disturbing results, so much so that, at times, the persecuted end up saving their persecutors.

''I chased a dream for years: to record an album of Native American music. But I had no intention of doing it just for fun; I felt the need to create something that was of great emotional impact but, at the same time, respectful of the Indian culture'. In 1994, Robbie Robertson, after accompanying Dylan in his 'electric shift,' dancing with The Band until the 'last waltz,' composing the most beautiful soundtracks of Martin Scorsese’s films, and rediscovering the charm of New Orleans with Storyville, had the right opportunity to turn his dream into reality. When the producers of a series of documentaries (with Indian directors and actors) inspired by the book The Native Americans contacted Robertson for the music, he said: this is it. He had finally found the project he had been waiting for his whole life. While the producers were illustrating the project to him, his head was already flying on the wings of fantasy: 'memories of my childhood, the sounds, smells, and tastes of that time came back to me'.

Born in Toronto on July 5, 1944, Robbie is indeed of Mohawk origin and thus remembers his childhood in contact with Red Indian culture: every summer, he would go to the Six Nations reserve where his relatives were. Living there was like a dream because, in comparison, city life seemed barren, devoid of attractions. His grandparents, uncles, and cousins had an extraordinary relationship with nature, and he greatly envied their lifestyle. These factors introduced him to music which, moreover, has always played a significant role in Indian culture. Meanwhile, during those years, young Robertson was swept away by the emerging wave of rock'n'roll: for him, it was an explosive combination. It seemed like a surreal picture. And that phenomenon was so powerful that it eluded his understanding: he felt caught by a tornado and carried around the world.

Precisely from the intelligent and refined blend of Robbie's two main adolescent influences (rock and Indian culture) lie the artistic premises of Music For The Native Americans. Indeed, from a musical point of view, the album is a wonderful synthesis between tradition and innovation, ethnological rigor and listenability so that the always difficult fusion of ancient and modern is resolved here in an exemplary way. All this thanks to Robbie Robertson's artistic sensitivity and his total involvement in this project: he worked very hard to translate his emotions and memories into a musical language that could be understood by all. From this perspective, the track ''Ghost Dance' becomes exemplary. The melody, written in the classic style of the Canadian songwriter, turns into a seductive ethno-rock ballad whose words encapsulate the physical end of a people and its spiritual rebirth. The track refers to the banning by the American government of the Ghost Dance, so much so that its perpetuation by the Indian tribes was the excuse that unleashed the fury of the 7th Cavalry on December 29, 1890, in the unfortunately famous massacre of Wounded Knee. In the same vein, we find three songs: ''It Is A Good Day To Die'', 'Golden Feather' and 'Skinwalker'.

The first is inspired by the motto of Indian Chiefs in front of the American Cavalry, but also by a principle of Native philosophy: ‘I am so grateful for every single day of life that every day can be a good day to die'. The second, 'Golden Feather' highly suggestive and with a beautiful melody, is one of the most delicate moments of the entire project and is based on an Indian belief that finding a golden feather or a heart-shaped stone is synonymous with good fortune. The third 'Skinwalker' literally 'he who walks in the skin' refers to a legendary figure from old Navajo tradition, the skinwalker, an entity with the power to enter others’ bodies and settle there, controlling primary instincts. Four tracks have a more pronounced 'ethno' flavor: the amazing and hypnotic 'Mack Jchi' sung by the female choir Ulali and recorded partly in New Mexico and partly in New York in a kind of intertribal reunion at a distance; the fascinating 'Akua Tuta‘, the soothing 'Cherokee Morning Song', interpreted by Rita Coolidge, her sister Priscilla and her niece Laura Satterfield, a typical Cherokee traditional song sung in the Coolidge family’s youth; the tribal 'Ancestor Song' for voices and percussion in the most classic Native American style. Then more atmospheric tracks like the instrumental 'Coyote Dance', at the album's opening, or 'The Vanishing Breed‘, this one inspired by an early-century photograph by Edward S. Curtis. It’s a photo titled 'The Vanishing Race', that is, the race that is disappearing of Indians portrayed in what seems like a cloud of smoke or fog looking back as if they were disappearing forever. Lastly, two pieces like ‘Twisted Hair’ highly symbolic in text and acoustical atmospheres where the sonic suggestion is accentuated by the recitation of the inspired lyrics in 'Words Of Fire', 'Deeds Of Blood', from the words of wisdom of Chief Joseph, the charismatic leader of the Nez Perce.

His main concern, Robbie Robertson recalls, was to have the consent of the Indian nation. Before recording the album, he went to talk to some old chiefs he respected greatly. They told him: 'Robbie, if you want our blessing, use your spiritual strength and don’t pretend you’re living in the 1800s. Your music must speak the language of the times. Be strong and honest'. This advice greatly reassured him because it represented exactly what he wanted: to make an album that could leverage his artistic background and cultural roots. He wanted to make the record for them, for those old and wise Indian chiefs who gave him their blessing. So once the work was finished, he went to the person he considered the most representative. He inserted the album in the player. After the first three tracks, he didn’t notice any reaction: absolutely immobile with an imperturbable gaze. Robbie began to wonder where he went wrong, what he had forgotten.... And he was so embarrassed that he didn’t dare look the Indian chief in the eye. About three-quarters of the way through the record, he lifted his gaze and saw that tears were flowing down the Indian chief’s face.... That was the greatest gratification Robbie ever received in his career.

Glorified by critics, 'Music For The Native Americans' represented a great moment in Robbie Robertson’s life. The very desire to present that project to the public convinced Robbie to perform live almost twenty years after his last on-stage appearance and to follow that operation with the subsequent album in 1998. A record that best represents what the Indians have experienced, the persecutions they have suffered. Amazing in every facet.