I attended a weekend conference in Carmel Valley, ancestral lands of the Costanoan Ohlone People. We gathered to learn from culture bearers, ethnomusicologists, and music teachers. Over the course of the weekend we participated in active learning with materials that were specifically acknowledged as being okay to experience as a visitor to the culture, watched videos and heard from culture bearers in person to learn more about aspects of their culture, hear songs and see dances that are okay to be shared to us but not learned or taught for us to pass along ourselves as teachers. We worked with children's books which respectfully depicted North American Native stories in ways which deepened our understanding about knowledge about the culture represented (learning words in the language of the tribe, seeing art using elements used in the culture) while allowing us to respond to the material with our own creativity through movement, drama, and musical improvisation.

Specifically we worked with:

1. Music and dance of Brazilian indigenous peoples, using maps of Brazil with groups located by the three main landscapes of Brazil, listening to video and audio excerpts, and playing several children's games

2. A north American folk tale about Loksi the Turtle (from the Tennessee region)

3. Venezuelan maraca technique with a musician from Veneuela living in the Bay area

4. Music and dance of the Costanoan Ohlone - shared by the Ohlone Sisters, Desiree and Carla, who work with students in schools

I am still waiting to receive the bundle of video and printed materials that will be sent AFTER the weekend and can share if anyone is interested.

My Take-Aways:

1. It is worth it to take the time to explain where and who you learned a song from, where the instrument is from, etc. It deepens the students' ability to connect in a real way with the present-time culture of the group the music, story, instrument, clothing, dance, etc., comes from. I have already used this in my recent 2nd grade class when I read a story about the the corn dance. Where in the past I might have not showed the author/illustrator info in order to "save time" or "get to the activity", this week I built connection by starting with a rattle decorated in the style of the art of the book, showed a poster with pictures of all kinds of heritage corn varieties from the Americas, and then shared a poem based on the words to the Corn Dance Song. By the time we read the book, the students were primed, and showing them the author and telling them that he is of the people whose story he wrote and illustrated, built further connection. We were able to notice many connections in the art, to the pictures of the corn, the art on the rattle etc.

2. There is no way I can convey the same level of cultural understanding as someone directly bearing the culture. With that in mind, I am hopeful that we may be able to bring the Ohlone Sisters to Burke's this coming year. I will pursue this along with several other schools who are interested to have them come up from Southern California.

3. The focus on understanding and connection to the materials used/shared/experiences is paramount - where did it come from? what is it made of? who made it? what for? who gave it to me? How did it get to our school? Is it appropriate for someone not of the culture to have it? play it? I heard a story about someone from Ghana seeing an instrument for sale in a store in Chinatown that is a very specifically used instrument, only allowed to be played be certain people and very bad luck for others to see or use. That person immediately left the store, quite unsettled that it was there. This is making me think further about instruments I have bought in my travels, without understanding the whole context of the instrument's use. We had quite a discussion about this story and how we would even know, if it was in a music store we would assume it was okay to play or buy.

4. Transactional vs Relational - this came up often. What is the purpose for wanting to experience or learn the music, dance, stories, etc.? When we have guest musicians or dancers come, this will be important to think about.