[BFBulldog]

What does it mean when a song has in parenthesis that it's whistled? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vqGqI1fps-8

[WhoMe]

Originally Posted by BFBulldog

What does it mean when a song has in parenthesis that it's whistled? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vqGqI1fps-8

It means that a *whistle carrier comes up to the edge of the drum and blows his whistle for the drum to sing 4 more leads/verses. For some reason the video you posted does not show the whistle carrier. You can only hear his whistle being blown at the end of the video.

*There is controversy in modern powwows on who has the right to blow whistles at a powwow. In olden times it was a honored position in grass dance and warrior societies. Not everyone had this right. Today, times change and the lines of tradition have been blurred.

[AmigoKumeyaay]

Originally Posted by BFBulldog

What does it mean when a song has in parenthesis that it's whistled?

The Eagle Bone Whistle

[Joe's Dad]

Originally Posted by BFBulldog

What does it mean when a song has in parenthesis that it's whistled? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vqGqI1fps-8

That was old what's his name that blew the whistle on that song. I remember.

[White Powwow Dancer]

Here one to look at

[wardancer]

Awesome song !

[Ndnsoldierboy]

Record or not record a whistled song? I could care less if someone records a whistled song.
At a vendors stand you can buy a powwow cd with whistled songs on them.

[Garcrobe1]

Originally Posted by BFBulldog

What does it mean when a song has in parenthesis that it's whistled? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vqGqI1fps-8

One should know the history of the Whistle. Each Grass dance organization appointed two whistle men. They sat on each side of the drum. The drum and the whistle were opposite each other. In pre-reservation times they tried to out do each other by extracting gifts to the poor by mistakes made by each other (Singers at the drum and the two Whistle men). During reservation era each organization owned a dance hall. The fines for making mistakes would go to the poor, but also the up keep of the dance hall.This custom lasted until the 1960-1970's on some reservations. perhaps on some it continues until today.
What mistakes you ask? The mistake list goes on and on. One that applies today in the pow-wow is to blow the whistle more than 4 times during a song. The Whistle man blows over the drum. This requires the singers to sing the song again.The whistle man can blow less than 4 times, but if he forgets and blows 5 times, then he has to pay a heavy fine.
For the singers one rule says that if the singers leave the drum alone by itself, the Whistle man charges the drum and blows over it. Then the singers have to pay.At the big pow-wows these and many many other rules are not adhered to. It takes too long to pay the fines, etc.but is used on the home reservation during the winter dances.