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Omaha Indians Music - Hethu'shka Society Concert CD | The Omaha Indians’ Honored Warrior Class Holds Forth:
Omaha Indians music is richly diverse. It is unique in its nearly exclusive emphasis on singing, its palpable connection to the spiritual realm, and its approach to song lyrics constitutes an essential part of the poetry. The proliferation of instruments imbued with sacred symbolism is often a work of art in itself. Omaha Indians perform many different genres of music and those of the Hethu’shka Society are quite exclusive. This honorary body of Omaha Indians once represented the elite warrior class and has now been entrusted with the preservation of tribal culture and tradition, and this role is evident in the songs and dances they perform. |
The items presented at powwows by the Hethu'shka Society are a much awaited and treasured feature, since they present traditional dances and songs, including a series of war dances that are of special significance to the Omaha Indians. A case in point was the Hethu’shka Society concert of 1985, where the featured items were representative of the antique recordings made by Francis La Flesche, the son of an Omaha chief and the 19th century historian Alice Fletcher. The concert flier announced - FREE OUTDOOR CONCERT - TRADITIONAL OMAHA INDIAN MUSIC: Dances and songs performed by members of the Hethu'shka or Warrior Society of the Omaha Tribe, Macy, Nebraska. Thursday, August 22, 1985 Neptune Plaza, Library of Congress. 12 noon-1:30 P.M. To the many who attended it, American history surely took on a new meaning. The Hethu'shka Society Concert CD features 13 traditional Hethu’shka songs that were performed at the concert. Amongst them:
The Whipman’s Song
In Hethu’shka context, the Whipman is the head dancer and his function is reflected by the title, which has been derived from the original meaning of ‘scout’. It is his duty to motivate people to rise to the occasion, and events such as this concert use three to four ‘whipmen’ to do this. This is the Whipman’s ‘theme song’.
‘Sneak up’ Song
The music accompanying this dance is a very high introductory section to a tremolo drumming, followed by a vigorous fast song. During the tremolo section, traditional dancers walked about 10 yards forward. It is so named because it took place out of order from the original concert schedule.
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