Collective Spirit Podcast
First Peoples Fund presents the Collective Spirit® podcast. The Collective Spirit moves each of us to stand up and make a difference, to pass on ancestral knowledge, and simply extend a hand of generosity. The Collective Spirit podcast features Native artists and culture bearers who discuss the power of Indigenous art and culture. The Collective Spirit® podcast is produced by First Peoples Fund, whose mission is to honor and support Indigenous artists and culture bearers through grant-making initiatives, culturally rooted programming, and training & mentorship. Learn more at www.firstpeoplesfund.org
Collective Spirit Podcast
S3E1: Tiana Spotted Thunder - A Symphony of Storytelling and Song
Tiana Spotted Thunder, an Oglala Lakota musician, shares the rich tapestry of sound that weaves traditional powwow rhythms with the contemporary beats of hip-hop and R&B. Her voice, a conduit for heritage and healing, shares the complexities of her musical journey, revealing the personal joys and challenges she faces in the studio. Tiana's artistry is a surprising kaleidoscope, as she confesses her love for genres as diverse as grunge and alternative rock, which color her creative expression.
The music Tiana crafts bears the weight of memory, the lightness of hope, and the colors of our deepest emotions. In a heartfelt discussion with Talon Ducheneaux (Cheyenne River Lakota), Program Manager of the Wicahpi Olowan Music Program and Studio, we uncover the sacred art of songwriting as a tribute to those who have danced ahead to the spirit world. Talon's conversation with Tiana delves into the intricacies of composing in Lakota, the language of her ancestors, and the delicate dance of self-accompaniment.
Learn more about the First Peoples Fund - Wicahpi Olowan Music Program and Studio at https://bit.ly/WicahpiOlowan
First Peoples Fund presents the Collective Spirit Podcast. The Collective Spirit moves each of us to stand up and make a difference, to pass on ancestral knowledge and simply extend a hand of generosity. The Collective Spirit Podcast features Native artists and culture bearers who discuss the power of indigenous art and culture.
Speaker 2:This is a special edition from the Wichakwila music program, part of the Oglala Lakota Art Space and First Peoples Fund, as well as a program partner with Playing for Change Foundation. Throughout the year, we gather each month to celebrate and talk to one musician who has either utilized the studio, performed on our garage stage or in some way, shape or form, has participated in the we Chalk Be a Loam music program. Today, we speak with Tiana Spotted Thunder, oglala Lakota, from Rapid City, south Dakota. In this conversation, she talks about music, her inspirations, her aspirations and all of the amazing work that she does with music. These special editions of the Collective Spirit podcast are available to attend as a live event, so be sure to check our firstpeoplesfundorg website for more information on when you can attend our next monthly music mixer.
Speaker 2:How, madakia pi, we are here at the Oglala Lakota Artspace. Name is Talon Bazil Dushino. I am the program manager for the we Chalk the Olawa music program and I'm excited to introduce you all be it in person with our small live audience or online digitally listening to this later on in the future our monthly music mixer. This program is intended to not only showcase the artist in a performance light, but more so, in the music itself and providing the artist an opportunity to talk about that, talk about the process, talk about the spirituality behind it, talk about the stories behind it. There's so much within music that can be expounded upon, so this is just kind of our opportunity to share that but then also hopefully allow you, the listener, the audience, to get to know a little bit more deeply different artists who you may be listening to. And today we're really, really excited to kick off our first one with one of our teaching artists for the music program, tiana Spotted Thunder. Tiana welcome.
Speaker 3:Thank you, I'm glad to be here.
Speaker 2:We're glad to have you. For those of you who don't know, tiana also hosts a bi-weekly we Chag Lata circle here in OLA hosts a bi-weekly we Chag Latta circle here in OLA and also another staggered bi-weekly we Chag Latta circle over at Rapid City. Today we are covering some of her own performance and song and things that she does outside of the program and also through the program, as she's been using the studio and recording. So we're really excited to have her here and get into that conversation. Tiana, what's your experience been like with, like, I don't want to categorize it as contemporary genres, but those like hip hop, those R&B genres? You know, what's your experience been with that as, like someone who does a lot more singing based material but who has recently been, you know, kind of diving in those waters, of collaborating with hip hop artists here and there?
Speaker 3:Well, I do have a little bit of prior experience singing, being featured on songs. I used to just collaborate with a few local artists back in the day, with a few friends and and they decided to, you know, curate a little spot for me to throw in some vocals here and there, some lyrics. They said, well, work your magic. And you know, I kind of missed that because I was doing stuff like that and then I, just out of nowhere, you know, full-on powwow mode for dona years and I was like, you know, I need to get back into it. So, yeah, I mentioned it to TJ. I mean, um, terrence, I known him as TJ a long time ago.
Speaker 3:Um, terrence and Stella and I and, uh, you as well, santi, and you know, as we have our talks, you know, I thought I should get back into it and, yeah, I was really scared because I thought, you know, I don't know if I'm musically inclined enough or you know what if it's just not there anymore, what if that voice is just gone? And as I've been, you know, experimenting around with my vocals, stella has been such a great support and cheerleader for me and really like gassing me up, hyping me up and helping me to feel motivated to get back into it. So really excited to work with everybody on the team, collaborate together on some songs and and uh see what we can make happen.
Speaker 2:Yeah, definitely. I mean, I think even just in your like vocalizations, you know you'd put that uh, me and Stantee have a song um called the struggle is real, and you put vocals on that before we even put our vocals on it. But the funny thing was we went to a completely different studio and, um, like uh, we didn't get to hear your vocals before we even laid that on. So it was kind of like, you know, jump in the air, like, oh, you know, let's hope it all matches up the patterns you know fit. And uh got back this week and we put the vocals on and yeah it's like perfect, the world on your back, god, the world on your back.
Speaker 2:You know there, I think, with any artists diving into any genre, you know audiences in general. They they're surprised when you know a pop artist really likes heavy metal or when a heavy metal artist really really likes EDM, or you know things like that. Do you ever face that in your kind of practice?
Speaker 3:Oh yeah. So I just had this thing. I thought you know you look at me and you look at how I do my music and you know you listen to my music. You wouldn't even think that I just have this soft spot in my heart for grunge and alternative rock. Reach into your core and pull out things that you never even dealt with before. It can help you to feel things that you you don't want to feel. But you're just facing, facing the truth.
Speaker 3:You know, with, like, let's say, queens of the Stone Age or, um, sunny Day Real Estate, you kind of get that that real sad, overwhelming feeling like you didn't even know you had and it's. It's almost like, hey, you know, uh, it's therapy because you have, um, something that you, uh, you now feel that maybe was pushed down in in somewhere, somewhere in your mind and and you found something that resonates with, with that pain. Honestly, um, when you take a look at me, you wouldn't think so. You wouldn't think I would resonate so much with, with that music. I used to actually uh kind of address the emo type or goth type in high school and, um, just always had, just always had that love for, for rock and grunge and emo music.
Speaker 2:So, yeah, yeah, that's really cool to hear about. I feel like we all kind of have those different pockets of our ears where we just kind of hit where people don't expect, so that's really cool to hear about.
Speaker 3:Yeah, I think too, you know, like you talk about all of these different emotions and atmospheres and it's like it's not, it's not specific to just one person's life, like everybody has felt that emotion, and it's just we kind of experience them different, we feel them different, we reflect on them different, we feel them different, we reflect on them different when I first started learning about round dance, I actually uh, didn't know that round dance was kind of a ceremony for those healing from a loss or, you know, going through grief, those who are in mourning or wanted to pay respects to a loved one and have a memorial for that person, and I thought what a perfect idea to have a round dance song to remember that loved one that passed on. One of the metaphors I heard is that you'll feel it when it rains and you'll feel that presence. So that's what inspired this song and hoping that it resonates with those who are in mourning and love round dance music. So that's kind of where the song came from that's cool.
Speaker 2:So for those listening along, that was in the sky by tiana spotted thunder. Um, tiana is our artist feature of the month for the monthly music mixer of the month for the monthly music mixer and, uh, yeah, I really like the production behind that, the hearing. You explain the meaning between you know the, the rain and the clouds and everything in the sky. Um, that background going into it, that's really helpful. Uh, was it always kind of in your mind to add the, the rainstorm sounds in there and everything, or was that more of like after you recorded it?
Speaker 3:It was spontaneously added, just sitting there with my producer at the time, aaron Williams. He's a Shichenghu DJ in Rapid City, but yeah, we were just sitting there vibing listening to it, so that I just seen him going somehow on his computer and then somehow that that rain got added in. I was like that sounds cool, you should keep that. Then you know that's kind of how how that came about.
Speaker 2:Yeah I like how he had the the thunder sounds in there too, and keeping the bass within. We're listening to this on HS8s and if you're listening to this on your own, I highly suggest some form of headphones or something, because the bass in that really evens out everything, because you're hitting those high frequencies with your voice too, so really solid. What's it like looking back on a work that's, you know, this far back over a decade?
Speaker 3:I just think about how my voice has progressed, my songwriting style has definitely progressed since then and morphed into something you know, more mature and, um, and I think about those those juvenile feelings that I had before. I've actually experienced so much and learned so much, um, you know, from going out in the world and and all that experience, uh, from then on, you know, would definitely change my life. But I I like going back to this and thinking about all of that, that that novice feeling and that that young, that young feeling, fresh mind, and that eagerness that I had to make songs, even though I wouldn't know if they would be good or not. I didn't really care if they would be good or not, I was just happy that I had that ability to do that at the time. So I got my start of singing through my late father. He encouraged me by playing songs and saying you should sing like this and other lady singers that would sing, they say you should sing with them, and he would record on my tape recorder and give me the tape and it would have prayer songs and stuff. And I didn't think I would ever be, you know, without my dad, but as he was about to pass away.
Speaker 3:I started singing and from that came this song I wanted to make for him and so I made it and I got my lyrics down and I practiced and practiced it and then I got to sing it to him and when I, when I sing it to him, he's like that's a nice song, I like it. I said you do you like it? Do you do you want it to your song? Do you have a song yet? And he's like you know, I had one made for me a long time ago but yeah, I like it. And then, yeah, it couldn't be my song. And so I made it just kind of about how he lived and the way that he walked his life and how he would walk into the next life and it is a beautiful transition just to be between two worlds like that and how I got to witness that for him. And I was excited, and I was excited. I was excited that he was going to be able to walk forward with no pain. We call it green grass Just seeing him envisioning that for him.
Speaker 3:And then he loved to dance, whatever it was. He loved to dance Whatever it was. You know, he loved to dance and he didn't have an outfit, but he wanted to dance traditional and he was a sun dancer for many, many years and so I thought that he'd be dancing on the other side in that next world. So you know, he always says stuff like um, whatever you come, it comes out of your mouth.
Speaker 3:You gotta say it sacredly, you gotta speak, speak sacredly because, um, basically the way that he put it was you send your voice out to the universe, um, you never know who's going to hear it and you have, you have a relatives around you all the time and always somebody to hear you when you say something, and so to be mindful with your word. So that I kind of um included all of that in this song and um hoping that he did good with me teaching me in the language, because him being fluent was nerve-wracking for me to speak to him In Lakota. I always thought I was going to say something wrong. But he really validated me in some of the past few songs that I've made. So I felt confident in this one and he really validated me in in some of the past few songs that I've made.
Speaker 2:So I felt confident in this one and he really liked it so, once again, that was agna iyanke Ate's Journey by Tiana Spotted Thunder.
Speaker 2:You know, one thing I so, so, really appreciate about singers like you and Santi and I've heard others do it too, but I feel like I hear it so well in yours and his is you guys have this tremendous ability to harmonize with yourself. You have your original melody and then I can hear you doing is that a lower melody as well as a higher one, or is it two different? Regardless, it's two different pitches from the original. Is it just from being around different singers you know, growing up or and then being around that life and hearing different people harmonize with each other? Or is it something that you're like consciously thinking of as you're creating or recording these songs and you can hear the growth, like as you're saying, you know you're it, you're, I think in the first one, in the sky, you're kind of um, like dubbing your voice throughout, whereas this one you're like being very methodical of like now we all come in and then refrain for the single voice and then now we come in with the harmony I really appreciate all all the kind words.
Speaker 3:Uh, it did take a lot to get to that point. I actually would try to uh take songs like, let's say, for example, the Harmony Nights album from Achievers Topa and Kit Largo and them I would look at that as an example and then I would do chords. I would look up chords for the keyboard and try to play a note, and I'll be trying to find notes that go well with it in that chord. And so when I find that sweet spot where there's two keys that match in the keyboard, I end up finding that harmony. Or I would ask whoever's recording me if they can play guitar and then they'll strum that chord for me. They'll find that chord and then I'd go from there.
Speaker 3:A lot of times it's just vibing and having that voice memo playing over and over and singing over yourself till you find that sweet spot. And I rehearsed this song a lot before recording it. I also made sure to overdub my voice quite a few times, so much so that it all blends in with each other. But somehow they are in different tones, almost like the pitchiness of it is at a different setting each time, but came together very nicely and it took so many takes. I even, uh, did the click track with the, the scratch track, and did my leads over and, over and over until I liked them.
Speaker 4:And so, yeah, I spent a lot of time on this album.
Speaker 3:I really like to dedicate this song to our grandmother earth first of all, and I like to sing it very first in my performances, just as a land acknowledgement and to thank that land that I'm standing on, because we have a lot of people fighting for our Grandmother Earth to stay alive, and one in particular was my own grandma, regina Brave, and I like to talk about her because she has such an incredible story of resiliency that not many I know can measure up to. I know can measure up to where they came from, what they've gone through. They've fought both in, you know, in both the 1973 AIM and then at Standing Rock till the very end, and I think of her as a pillar of strength for me a pillar of strength for me.
Speaker 4:So I wrote this song for grandmothers, all the Uncis and my Unci, regina, yo-eh-ha-ho, ho-eh-yo, hey-ya-hey-ya, yo-eh-ha-ho, ho-eh-ha-hey, ho-eh-ha-hey-yo, hey-hey-yo, un-chi-ma-ka-t'che-chi-chi-la, hey-yo, hey, oh, we hey, yeah, hey, which All right.
Speaker 2:And that was Unchi Song by Tiana Spotted Thunder.
Speaker 2:Once again, tiana is our featured artist for the music mixer, but this is the original opening theme for the play by Larissa Fast Horse and Cornerstone Theater called we Choon.
Speaker 2:This play toured the different communities within South Dakota, both urban and res, and featured a cast of some who are part of the Cornerstone Theater Company roster, but also first-time actors who are from Rapid City and the Pine Ridge area and different places.
Speaker 2:I was lucky enough to work on the sound design for it and when we were talking about a opening song, immediately it was. You know, we need to get Tiana on this, simply because it's the play itself is such a and it's a struggle that occurs in not just South Dakota but many other places in terms of like, what the LGBT community faces, what women face on the reservation and in the urban areas and throughout America in general. But it is also a story about finding those ancestral strengths and powers and those and maintaining and living, and so we reached out to tiana and within a day she had this song created for us that we just produced around um, can you talk a little bit about that? Because we we saw from our end you come in and record the song and we're all good, but for you, what was that creation like in terms of us commissioning that from you?
Speaker 3:What thoughts came to mind is you know what's going to help me to be resilient and make myself get through these challenges and you know, there's challenges throughout the storyline of this play and I thought what's going to help me Really, where is this power that I need right now?
Speaker 3:What is it that's going to help me? And, in reality's, it's you yourself and that dedication that you you make towards yourself to make things happen, regardless of the situation, and always, uh, look towards yourself and that power you have and making that promise. Making that promise to yourself because you deserve it and you owe that to yourself. You owe that to yourself to have that willpower and that courage. So I take courage, I promise that to myself, even though times get hard. And that courage, so I take courage, I promise that to myself, even though times get hard. That's basically what I wanted to say within the song and somehow the melody came about and I looked at one of my dad's old Sundance songs he made and I took part of the lead and I twisted it a little bit and it just somehow came together.
Speaker 4:Thank you.
Speaker 3:I first met Delia Waskowicz in I believe it was 2014 at a powwow in Regina, saskatchewan, and she was so nice, she was so friendly, she even almost tripped over some bleachers to say hi to me and things you know were so light and natural. She gave me a CD and I was so honored honestly, I gave her one of mine too. The time Sunrise to Sunset gave her a copy, and so I was listening to the album and the song I Was Dreaming came on and it made me cry. She told me about that song. I asked her. I heard the powwow version. I asked her what inspired that song and she said well, my mother died. She said I went to this hill and usually I would be there all day. I wouldn't even eat, I wouldn't even, and usually I would be there all day, I wouldn't even eat, I wouldn't even drink water, nothing, and I would just fall asleep there. And then, you know, when I'd fall asleep, then I'd dream of my mom and I would hear her, as if we were, you know, visiting and laughing like she was alive, like she was right here. And so every time I hear it, I just feel so much of that emotion in there and how she blends her powwow-style voice with her contemporary vocals and how she plays the guitar, and all of that really inspires me. So I always look to her as almost like a pillar of strength as well for females in this music industry, native females. She always encourages me to play guitar and sing too. She said you can do it. She always tells me that you can do it. I know you can, can you sing my song? So one day I covered it. Do it. I know you can, can you sing my song? So one day I covered it and she was so happy and I was so blessed to have this camaraderie with her, have her support and everything. So this song is super near and dear to my heart. Oh, there's so much.
Speaker 3:Buddy Redbow really paved the way for us Oglalas you know us Lakotas out here in music and he made it out there, played for so many people, went far and wide and then still he would come home. He would come home and do shows for his people. He'll go to schools. He'll do little shows, you know, at the park or something you know. He would just be so humble about it and you know, always proud of where he comes from, uses his language and his songwriting and that philosophy, the philosophy that even in the Indian love song like when you're going to go to sleep tonight, pray for me, and saying stuff like that, I totally get it. I hear the elders in his voice, I hear the ancestors in his voice and even though it's contemporary music for our people, I can.
Speaker 3:I can hear how traditional he was and, uh, south dakota lady, it made me cry and I don't know, I don't know why, but I, I feel this uh, what's ita in there? It's like a sadness, like, um, a sadness or a longing for a time, wanting to know, uh, what that time was like for him and what it was like to live when he lived. So, um, you know, there's, there is a echioloao no Wa, not only in our traditional music but in his music. And after posting that song one time, my older sister said you know, dad used to sing that all the time. He used to sing that around the house all the time. So I guess that makes sense why I cried too. I think my dad's spirit's a little bit attached to the song. But yep, there's so many reasons, but I'd pick those as my top reasons.
Speaker 2:Before we leave, is there anything you'd like to share, or say Tiana?
Speaker 3:I'm just really grateful for the opportunity to share little parts of myself. Um, you know I don't get very many chances to speak, or you know, I'm mainly singing, so being able to speak and share is a little bit difficult. But I'm always happy to branch out, to share some of my heart with everybody and have a good time listening to music and appreciating it. So, yeah, I appreciate you for bringing me on, and especially as the first artist to do this. So I really hope for the best for all the other upcoming mixers.
Speaker 1:The Collective Spirit Podcast is produced by First Peoples Fund, whose mission is to honor and support Indigenous artists and culture bearers through grant-making initiatives, culturally rooted programming, and training and mentorship. Learn more at firstpeoplesfundorg.