Wildflower (Waabigwan)   

Arr. Caleb Seguin, Zachary Ritter

Wildflower is an international (or intertribal) traditional Pow-Wow song.  Let’s break that down a little!  Traditional Pow-wow songs constitute one genre of music in the rich and varied worlds of indigenous music making. Past and present. Unlike other types of indigenous music, which can be enjoyed anywhere anytime, Pow-Wow music is closely linked to history and tradition, follows certain conventions and protocols, and serves particular social and ceremonial purposes. Sense Pow-Wows are social gatherings of many people from many different places, many Pow-Wow songs are international or inter-tribal, meaning they do not belong to any one nation, group or tribe - but are rather meant to be shared and enjoyed by all. 

Traditional Pow-Wow songs are not owned by or attributed to any individual. Rather, they are gifted to the community by those who receive them. If you’ve ever had the experience of having an original melody pop into your head, seemingly out of nowhere, then you are familiar with the experience of receiving a song,  In White Settler culture, when this happens, we say that the “wrote” or “came up” with the song, and that they have an opportunity to gift the song to the community, for which we are grateful.  They are the caretaker of the song, but it never fully belongs to anyone. It’s all a matter of cultural perspective. 

Wildflower was brought to us by an elder of mine named Barb Hooper, who received the song when I was very young, and brought it to my home community, which sits at the regional intersection of Anishinaabe and Haudenosaunee territories, and thus is home to both peoples.  The song very quickly spread through our community and beyond, until it became a mainstay at Pow-Wows, drum circles, performances and gatherings across the continent. The song is accompanied by a brief story about a group of grandmothers calling the children into the safety and protection of the community.  It represents themes of matriarchal power, unconditional love, intergenerational connectedness, and acceptance. 

The song does not have lyrics. Rather, it uses something called “vocables,” which are repeated sounds designed to be universally accessible to people everywhere, no matter what language you speak.  They carry the music, which itself is what carries the message.  This makes sense for Pow-Wow music, which you may recall is intended to be shared at large international gatherings. Vocables are often misunderstood, leading to harmful assumptions about simplistic indigenous languages structures, and they are frequently imitated and mocked.  The use of vocables in the song is an opportunity to teach our audience about the simple and powerful truth of vocables, and how they help us carry the universal language of music. 

When most non-Indigenous people think of Indigenous music.  PowWow music is what comes to mind. While we are proud of the tradition of Pow-Wow music, it is important to remember that it represents only a small fraction of what indigenous creators have contributed to the world of music over the years.  When we focus so hard on a Culture’s past, it’s easy to forget that we Indigenous people exist in the present, too. There is a whole world of contemporary indigenous music out there just waiting to be explored-andby exploring and sharing what you find, you can support indigenous artists while directly dismantling the harmful myth that indigenous people only existed in the past. We’re here today and creating amazing things! 

Lastly, it is important to note that Wildflower was given to AVOP for use in this cycle with explicit permission. Traditional Pow-Wow music is sacred. And that means that it should never be taken without permission, and it should never be performed or recorded by non-Indigenous people unless it is in partnership and collaboration with Indigenous people. I have the tremendous honor of being a story keeper for Wildflower- a gift that was given to me by Barb Hooper before she passed away.  I hold the responsibility to share this song with intention and care so that it may continue to fulfill its purpose, and I am proud to be able to share it with all of you.  That said, very often our songs, stories, customs, languages, or culture are taken and used with or without permission. This is one of the ways the horror of colonization live on today.  I ask that you carry forward this teaching, and remember to always make space for us to tell our own stories.

Chi-Miigweeh (Thank you)

Caleb 

Anisnhinaabe-Innu-Cree n’daaw

Kataronkwi n’donjibaa