MadmanWithaWhistle wrote:
Geoffrey Ellis wrote:
There is strong evidence that this style of block flute that we call the Native American flute has a very short history and was actually simply a native take on European flagolet and whistles that the natives got in trade from early settlers. This is a controversial subject and many natives would angrily refute this. I don't have a position on it because I honestly don't know what the truth is. But when in doubt I'm inclined to side with the Native view. They have plenty of grounds for being angry at their ongoing treatment, and I'm leery of history that is written by the "conquerors".
Fascinating stuff, Geoffery. Thanks for sharing your insider knowledge about these flutes!
My pleasure!
It's been an education for me as well. I was pretty naive about the implications of a non-native making native flutes when I first started out, and when it became a viable business for me there was strong motivation for all sorts of justifications which could bias my viewpoint. It had become my sole livelihood, and I was reluctant to look too hard at the ethics once I found myself confronted with them. And I know quite a few NA flute makers who still simply refuse to consider any possibility that there might be an ethical question at all. But I will say this: the majority of makers that I knew who made these flutes did so because they loved and honored the Native American culture, even if it was within certain limits. Our current culture does not always give a sense of continuity to those who live within it. I would even go so far as to describe it as "bankrupt" in so many ways. Superficial, homogenized, throwaway values abound, and for a lot of people the beauty and continuity of Native American traditions really spoke to them. I've heard Native Americans justifiably criticize non-natives who "play Indian", but there are a portion of them who are not playing at it. They really go deep with complete sincerity.
But I have also encountered a lot of people "playing Indian", not realizing how offensive this might be. For myself, I was never into the NA flute as anything other than a cool instrument, but I did my share of borrowed iconography on some of them until at some point it started to feel contrived. And as the admin of a forum where these topics were often discussed, I began to see how complex this issue was and how little self-examination I had really engaged in. The more I thought about it and talked to others, ironically the less clear it became.
Given the cultural mash-ups that are always taking place throughout human history, it can be difficult to distinguish exploitation from inspiration, paying tribute versus profiting by, etc.. I think it takes a very sensitive person to try to navigate these things. I tend to give people a lot of slack simply because I've been on both sides of the fence and I know that well-meaning people might be offending without intent. So discussing the issues without labeling anyone or putting them "in the wrong" is valuable. Human ego being what it is, it is always better to gently persuade than to tell anyone that they are stupid or wrong. If we inflame someone's ego or sense of pride it'll more than likely just offend them to such a pitch that they dismiss us completely and become even more fixed in their views.
That's the inherent danger of "opinions" of all kinds. An opinion is a fixed viewpoint that implies that we have all the information and have considered an argument from every possible vantage point (which is impossible). Human beings don't tend to like gray areas or paradoxes. Our minds like black or white, yes or no, right or wrong. Sadly, nothing in life actually occupies those extreme ends of the spectrum. So I try to avoid getting too dug into any viewpoint. But it can make for some insipid dinner conversations
