Photo of the Purdue Varsity Glee Club and the Miami Tribe Interacting (Credit: Christopher Wolford)
Words - Christopher Wolford
During the fall semester, the Purdue Varsity Glee Club shared a cultural collaboration with the Miami Nation of Indians of Indiana, blending rich heritage and the spirit of community through music. PMO Director William Griffel gave some background on how the event came to be:
“Awhile back, [Glee Club’s] Caleb Goodwin approached me with the contact info for the Chief Brian Buchanan of the Miami Nation of Indiana - Caleb’s friend is a member of the tribe and one of their drummers,” Griffel said. “I had expressed interest in bringing a tribe to help us with a song I was considering called “Ute Sundance,” a Native American song about the sacred ritual that happens every summer in many tribes across the US.”
Ensemble members learned about and participated in tribal rituals based around an important instrument in the tribe’s culture: the drum.
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Learn more about the Miami Nation at www.miamiindians.org