November is National Native American History Month and we’re so happy to have the opportunity to delve deeper into the history and practices of America’s Indigenous People.

But before we go any further a brief note on terminology: we are using the terms “Indigenous People” and “Native Americans” interchangeably and will also be using specific tribes and nation names where appropriate. For information on why click here!

Native American tribes can be found in every state across the United States of America. Each tribe and nation have their own musical traditions, languages, belief systems, and social structures. In New York alone, at least eight nations call this land home. These nations include the Cayuga, Oneida, Onondaga, Mohawk, Seneca, Tonawanda , Tuscarora, and Shinnecock nations.

We at ETM recognize that we are not culture bearers, so we’re sharing the stories of America’s Indigenous People in their own voices. Please take some time to check out some Indigenous People we love to celebrate as they share the musical traditions of the tribes and nations.

•  You can find Inuk throat singer Shina Nova on TikTok at @shinanova , sharing the history, culture, and musical practices of the Canadian Inuit Tribes.
• You can also learn from Michelle McCauley,a descendant of the Pyramid Lake Paiute Tribe in Nevada and music educator.
• For music you can listen to now, check out Theland Kicknosway, an Indigenous youth who uses his voice to showcase Indigenous culture. He has shared Native artists on his Facebook page as well as performed traditional songs with other Indigenous People.

We hope this list gets you started but the journey doesn’t end here. You can always find a local Pow Wow to experience the culture firsthand, or go deeper into the internet and learn more about how we can honor one of the many amazing cultures, and music present in the United States.

Without music teachers, we can’t offer music classes.

To ensure that ETM can hire and promote more teachers, we need to enhance our teachers’ compensation and resources when they work for us.

That’s why we’re raising $90,000 to make sure our teachers – and their students – get everything they need. And we can’t do it without you.

Join our Teacher Corps Campaign today.