The Native American Flute

by Jim Mayhew

Enveloping the woodlands like an early-morning fog, the sound was unlike anything they had ever heard.  “Strolling one evening in the vicinity of the camp, I heard the sound of some musical instrument, and upon approaching the performer, who was lying under a tree, I found that he was playing an instrument resembling a flageolet in construction, but much softer in tone.”  Paul Kane  – “Wanderings of an artist among the Indians of North America – 1859”.  Not quite like the folk songs or serious music they were accustomed to, but definitely not a sound of nature, the Europeans traversing North America recorded their impressions of the continent’s unique indigenous instrument; the Native American Flute.

Known by many names (Indian flute, cho-tan-ka, love flute, wi-pin, tsal-eet-quash-to), the Native American flute is as simple in its design as it is complex in its effect on the spirit of the listener.  A simple hollowed-out piece of wood, this instrument was originally used primarily for that most difficult of tasks – capturing the heart of a desirable young woman.  “I then dressed myself as handsomely as I could, and walked about the village, sometimes blowing the Pe-be-gwun, or flute.  For some time Mis-kwa-bun-kwa pretended she was not willing to marry me, and it was not, perhaps, until she perceived some abatement of ardour on my part, that she laid this affected coyness entirely aside.”  John Tanner – “A narrative of John Tanner…- 1830”

Nearly all of the Nations of North America included the flute in their courting customs, but the origin of the instrument is unknown.  The earliest evidence of a musical instrument that is recognizable as a Native American flute was found in a grave associated with the Anasazi or Basket Weaver culture, centered in the 4-corners area of the Southwest, and dated around 750 AD.  Items that were important to an individual would be buried with the honored dead, so this preserved flute was obviously of importance to the deceased and possibly to his family as well.

There is also archeological evidence in the rock carvings of Kokopelli, the flute-playing, humpbacked spirit.  Some of these rock carvings date to around 1000 AD, and the flute that Kokopelli plays is obviously similar to the Native American flute of today.  Kokopelli was a fertility spirit and a seducer of maidens, which ties in with the courtship aspect of the instrument, as well as a roving minstrel, trader and trickster.  Whatever its origins, the basic design of the Native American flute spread throughout the Nations of North America as each group incorporated the instrument into their daily life.

As each nation adopted the instrument, they also developed legends to explain how the flute entered the world.  Although the details differ, most of these legends had two common themes—the flute was a gift from the spirits, and the flute enabled a young man to charm the woman of his desire.  How else to explain the profound impact this instrument had on the spirit of the listener as well as the player?  One of the more well-known origin myths is the story of the woodpecker.

“A man was walking through the woods, and he noticed a woodpecker on a branch.  He had that feeling we sometimes get that someone was trying to tell him something.  So he walked over to the branch where the bird had been perched.  The bird flew away, but the woodpecker had pecked some holes in the branch.  He broke the branch off the tree, and as he stood looking at the stick in his hand, the wind rushed through it and made a sound.  He took the branch back to the medicine man and asked him what this meant.  The medicine man said, ‘This is a gift from the Great Spirit.  Take it, play it and win the heart of the woman who truly listens to it.’  From that day, many of the courting flutes have their head in the shape of a woodpecker.”

While the origin stories describe the flute as a simple stick with holes in it, the actual design of the instrument is actually much more complex.  Technically, the Native American flute could be described as an end-blown fipple flute with an independent air chamber buffer accessed through an external channel.  The sound of the Native American flute is produced in the same manner as is the sound of the recorder; a stream of air passes over and is divided by a wedge-shaped obstruction (the fipple) in the air stream.  This splitting of the air stream produces vibrations in an air column, and the length of the air column is changed by opening and closing the fingering holes in the flute, which produces the different pitches.

This description, while accurate, misses the essence of the instrument. One aspect of this flute that makes its sound so unique is the air chamber buffer.  Whereas in the recorder the player blows directly into the fipple, on the Native American flute the player blows into an air chamber that is completely separated from the fipple.  The air then leaves the air chamber through a hole, is channeled across to the fipple by an external block (known as the bird, totem, fetish, block, etc.), then passes over the fipple to produce the tone.   This separation between the sections partially explains the unique tone of this instrument, as well as allowing for some of the unusual playing methods that define its music.

Like so many aspects of Native American culture, by the end of the 19th century the knowledge of this instrument was dying out.  The memory of the old songs would vanish with the death of the Indian Wars generation, and the haunting melodies inspired by this unique flute would never be heard again.  Fortunately, musicologists and ethnologists realized what was being lost, and using the newly-invented tool that was available at the time, the Edison wax cylinder recorders, Frances Densmore, Alice Fletcher, Frederick R. Burton and others recorded the old songs.  Mejakigijig of the White Earth Chippewa, Panther of the Seminole, Tetebahbundung of the Ojibway and many others from many other nations sang for future generations as their songs were recorded.  After transcribing these recordings, Densmore’s works were made available to the world as a series of books published as bulletins under the Smithsonian Institute’s Bureau of American Ethnology.

As the 20th century progressed, more and more aspects of Native American culture became accepted and embraced by the predominant European culture.  In World War I, Native Americans fought alongside Americans from New York, Los Angeles, and every point in between.  Sharing a common enemy in a combat environment created bonds that resonated deeply within the warrior cultures of the Native Nations.  The use of Navajo “Windtalkers” during WWII was inspired by the realization that the Navajo language, a tongue that had no written dictionary, was useful as an unbreakable code.  In the latter half of the century, there was an explosion of interest in all things related to Native American culture.  The current renaissance of interest in the Native American flute, pioneered by men like Dr. Richard Payne and R. Carlos Nakai, was a part of this wave of renewed interest.

As people have discovered the unique capabilities of this instrument, there has been a blossoming of performers creating various styles of music.  Some remain true to the old, traditional songs; others modify the old songs but maintain the essence of the Native culture.  Some blend Native American music with music from other world cultures, while others make entirely new music by playing original pieces or blending Native American flute with Western musical styles.

A similar divide exists among the makers of Native American flutes.  Some makers prefer to maintain strict adherence to the old ways, others experiment with new materials (polyethylene sealers and PVC linings and flutes); some insist on using traditional tools, while others welcome the drill press, router, and lathe.  There is much room between these extremes, which is where most flute makers reside, with each maker feeling free to welcome or reject any particular aspect of Western or Native manufacturing technique.

However the flute is made, whatever songs it is singing, the warm and soothing sounds of this instrument are once again being heard.  Just as the early European explorers were astonished to hear this unique music wafting across the plains and woodlands of North America, today’s wanderers may find their ears piqued by the soft tones of this magnificent, ancient and haunting instrument.

© Copyright 2004