Amerind Free Online Lecture – Songs of Power and Prayer in the Columbia Plateau: A Common Thread Through Tradition and Change with Chad S. Hamill, PhD

Amerind Free Online Lecture

Songs of Power and Prayer in the Columbia Plateau: A Common Thread Through Tradition and Change with Chad S. Hamill, PhD

Saturday, February 26, 2022, 11:00 am – Arizona Time

For centuries, tribes in the Interior Northwest US have utilized song as a catalyst for spiritual power, a means to heal, and as the tie that binds the community together. This talk will discuss the use of song from the pre-contact era through to the present, discussing the ways in which songs continued to act as conduits for spiritual power, even as Indian 19th century Catholic hymns began to dominate the musical landscape.

Chad S. Hamill received his PhD in ethnomusicology at the University of Colorado in 2008. His scholarship is focused on song traditions of the Interior Northwest, including those carried by his Spokane ancestors. In addition to his book, Songs of Power and Prayer in the Columbia Plateau, he has produced numerous articles centered on Columbia Plateau songs and ceremony, exploring topics ranging from sovereignty to Indigenous ecological knowledge. Prior to his position as Vice President for Native American Initiatives, Hamill served as Chair of the Department of Applied Indigenous Studies at Northern Arizona University and as Chair of the Indigenous Music Section of the Society for Ethnomusicology. Currently, he sits on the Advisory Council of the Smithsonian’s Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage and is a 2020-2021 Fellow for Indigenous Arts and Expression at California Institute of the Arts.

This online program is free, but space is limited. To register visit: https://bit.ly/AmerindOnline022622