The oral traditions of many North American Indian
groups are generally well known, though access to
existing sound recordings and the like can often be
limited to on-site listening booths at major museums
and archives. This nice collection of traditional
music from the Omaha tribe is a fine way to begin
learning about these traditions. The online exhibit
was created by the American Memory project at the
Library of Congress and includes traditional
Omaha music both from the 1890s and the 1980s. The
selections from the 1890s include 44 wax cylinder
recordings made by Francis La Flesche and Alice
Cunningham Fletcher. Equally compelling are the 323
songs from the 1983 Omaha harvest celebration powwow
that are also available here. The collection also
includes a brief introductory essay, fieldnotes from
the 1983 powwow, and an original program from the 1983
celebration. [KMG]
