Follow the journeys of ten talented musicians from the Native community as they make their way to the top. All of them bring their own cultural traditions to their music.

From the melodic sounds of a classical guitar or the wailing of an electric guitar to country music and punk rock, these musicians deliver. They offer a wide selection of musical styles as diverse as the music industry itself. Read about the lives of these outstanding performers who represent the fresh new sounds from Native American today. The music of these talented artists transcends borders and cultures to speak directly to the hearts and minds of listeners. But it was not always easy for them to reach their goals. Shane Yellowbird (Cree) - Canadian country recording artist Mary Youngblood (Seminole/Aleut) - Flutist Blackfire (Navajo) - Punk rock and traditional Dine' (Navajo) music Jamie Coon (Creek/Seminole) - Singer/songwriter Gabriel Ayala (Pascua Yaqui) - Classical guitarist Mato Nanji (Nakota Sioux) - Lead guitarist and singer for Indigenous Four Rivers Drum - Vibrant drum group

From the Olympics to national and minor leaguer teams, here are the stories of some of the many Native athletes who have excelled in the field of sports. These stories highlight the lives and achievements of 13 outstanding athletes, both men and women, who followed their hearts and through hard work became champions. Including: Naomi Lang (Karuk) - US Olympian and ice dance champion Ross Anderson (Cheyenne/Arapaho, Mescalero Apache) - Downhill speed skier and US record holder Jordin Tootoo (Inuit) - National Hockey League player Stephanie Murata (Osage) - US National Wrestling champion Beau Kemp (Choctaw and Chickasaw) - Professional baseball pitcher Alwyn Morris (Mohawk) - Olympic gold and bronze medalist in kayaking Cory Witherill (Navajo) - Professional Indy car racing Richard Dionne (Sioux) - CBA basketball champion Cheri Becerra-Madsen (Omaha) - Wheelchair racing Olympian, world record holder Shelly Hruska (Metis) - Ringette Team Canada Mike Edwards (Cherokee) - Professional bowler and PBA champion Delby Powless (Mohawk) - Lacrosse champion Jim Thorpe (Sauk and Fox) - Olympian and professional football and baseball player The Native Trailblazer Series shines a spotlight on the contributions of Native Americans and First Nation Canadians who provide inspirational role models for young readers. High interest text and easy to read format is ideal for teen and adult literacy programs.

"This book is an interdisciplinary discussion of popular music performed and created by American Indian musicians, providing an important window into history, politics, and tribal communities as it simultaneously complements literary, historiographic, anthropological, and sociological discussions of Native culture"--Provided by publisher.

Like the other books in the First Nations Series for Young Readers, this books offers ten short and engaging biographies of First Nations/Native activists who advocate not only for the environment but for Native rights. Their stories are full of highs and lows, triumphs and setbacks. Environmental trailblazers, these men and women are role models for children everywhere.

Popular music compels, it entertains, and it has the power to attract and move audiences. With that in mind, the editors of Indigenous Pop showcase the contributions of American Indian musicians to popular forms of music, including jazz, blues, country-western, rock and roll, reggae, punk, and hip hop. From Joe Shunatona and the United States Indian Reservation Orchestra to Jim Pepper, from Buffy Saint-Marie to Robbie Robertson, from Joy Harjo to Lila Downs, Indigenous Pop vividly addresses the importance of Native musicians and popular musical genres, establishing their origins and discussing what they represent. Arranged both chronologically and according to popular generic forms, the book gives Indigenous pop a broad new meaning. In addition to examining the transitive influences of popular music on Indigenous expressive forms, the contributors also show ways that various genres have been shaped by what some have called the “Red Roots” of American-originated musical styles. This recognition of mutual influence extends into the ways of understanding how music provides methodologies for living and survival. Each in-depth essay in the volume zeros in on a single genre and in so doing exposes the extraordinary whole of Native music. This book showcases the range of musical genres to which Native musicians have contributed and the unique ways in which their engagement advances the struggle for justice and continues age-old traditions of creative expression.

This book demonstrates the processes of intercultural musical collaboration and how these processes contribute to facilitating positive relationships between Indigenous and non-Indigenous peoples in Australia. Each of the chapters in this edited collection examines specific examples in diverse contexts, and reflects on key issues that underpin musical exchanges, including the benefits and challenges of intercultural music making. The collection demonstrates how these musical collaborations allow Indigenous and non-Indigenous people to work together, to learn from each other, and to improve and strengthen their relationships. The metaphor of the “third space” of intercultural music making is interwoven in different ways throughout this volume. While focusing on Indigenous Australian/non-Indigenous intercultural musical collaboration, the book will be of interest globally as a resource for scholars and postgraduate students exploring intercultural musical communication in countries with histories of colonisation, such as New Zealand and Canada.