The Power of Kiowa Song: A Collaborative Ethnography

by Luke E. Lassiter

Many Kiowas believe that song is a gift from God. Its power, argues Luke E. Lassiter, rests in the many ways that community members hear, understand, and feel "Song has power. As I begin to understand what this means for my mentors, I am just beginning to understand what this means in my life. They are not just singers. They are vehicles for something greater than all of us. Indeed, I now understand that I am not just a singer. But . . . I will sing until I die." As a boy, Lassiter had an early fascination with pow wows. This interest eventually went from a hobby to a passion. As Lassiter made Kiowa friends who taught him to sing and traveled the pow wow circuit, serving many times as a head singer, he began to investigate and write about the pow wow as an experiential encounter with song. The Power of Kiowa Song shows how song is interpreted, created, and used by individuals, how it is negotiated through the context of an event, and how it emerges as a powerfully unique and specific public expression. The Power of Kiowa Song presents a collaborative, community-wide dialogue about the experience of song. Using conversations with Kiowa friends as a frame, Lassiter seeks to describe the entire experience of song rather than to analyze it solely from a distance. Lassiter's Kiowa consultants were extremely active in the writing of the book, re-explaining concepts that seemed difficult to grasp and discussing the organization and content of the work. In a text that is engaging and easily read, Lassiter has combined experiential narrative with ethnological theory to create a new form of collaborative ethnography that makes anthropology accessible to everyone. This book is designed for anyone interested in Native American studies or anthropology, and it also serves as a resource written by and for the Kiowa themselves.

Genres: Ethnography, Anthropology

283 pages, Paperback

First published September 1, 1998

Reviews

[Kyle · Rating 4 out of 5]

Luke Eric Lassiter represents a transition in Ethnographic methodology and theory, away from the participant observation that was pioneered by Malinowski, and his later students such as Jean Briggs. Lassiter's generation of Ethnographer is struggling with the criticisms against Social Anthropology that accuse it of being too narrow, too absolute, too... destructive. People like Vine Deloria and Cecil King are leaders of a backlash against the methods and objectives of Cultural Anthropologists; with their scathing attacks on Anthropologists like Custer Died for Your Sins and Here Come the Anthros, Deloria and King are forcing Anthropologists to truly appreciate Native views, and real native lives. They force Anthropologists to ask the question like should an Ethnography be as beneficial to the studied population as it is to the ones studying? What truly makes a "good" ethnography? And, even though these learned Anthropologists wear the mantle of academic authority, who should the real culture bearers of a people be, and who should determine true identity? Basically, to what extent s the native voice filtered by the ethnographic process?

Eric Lassiter is doing his doctoral dissertation regarding his own interest, Powwows of the KCA (Kiowa-Comanche-Apache), yet he is haunted by the lambasting of people like Deloria and King; he also realizes that the local people whom he wants to learn form are greatly skeptical of the word Anthropologist (and rightly so). Even though Lassiter recognizes the troubled past of Anthropological work, he also knows there is something worthy and good that can be gained by the work (otherwise he wouldn't be pursuing it through grad school).

So Lassiter comes up with the model of Collaborative Ethnography. He realizes that the best people to interpret and to speak of Kiowa song are the Kiowa themselves so, unlike the Anthropologists of the past, he shrugs off his Anthropologist's mantle of authority and treats his local consultants as the sources of authority. He cites his informants in his Ethnography as he would an academic article, and he has his consultants read and re-read everything he writes about them. He gives his consultants the power of editing, and the power of censorship. Through every step of the way, Lassiter's cultural consultants are integrated into the process of building his Ethnography. Some of them, for all intents and purposes, are truly co-authors of the Ethnography he's writing about them.

This of course has huge implications for the future of ethnographic fieldwork, and brings no small amount of fierce debate within the discipline. Whether his approach is ultimately right or wrong, I cannot say, but I can say that I appreciate the discussion his work stirs; it is a worthwhile discussion to have. It is also clear that no matter the efficacy of his finished ethnography, the native voice and native perspective is definitely there; In that sense, I have to declare The Power of Kiowa Song a success.

[Jesse Booth · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ok, so I'll be honest about this book... I am taking a music class and one of the assignments requires us to choose an ethnography from a list of like 20 books. So, instead of looking for one that would peak my interests, I went to Amazon and started searching for the cheapest one... I ended up finding a copy of The Power of Kiowa Song for 1 penny, and I ordered it.

I'm so glad I ended up with it.

It is no secret that I don't care much for non-fiction. You can usually find me scrunched up, reading a fantasy or sci-fi. But this book was different. It focused on the Kiowa people - Native Americans living in Oklahoma - and their music and dancing.

It was a very worthwhile read! I really feel like I understand Native Americans better than I ever have before, and while I've never been to a powwow (they sound so cool, maybe I'll go to one someday), I feel like I would know what is going on, at least a little bit.

The way music emulates the Kiowa culture is amazing. I think that today, a lot of people miss out on what music can do for them. There is healing in song, and there is proof enough among the Kiowa people.

If you have any interest in Native Americans, and want to get a better grasp on how they powerful music can be, pick this book up. You won't regret it!

[Abigail · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked this account of Kiowa song and culture. I prefer the analytical and scientific style of anthropology, but agree with Mr. Lassiter that this is likely to be a much more accurate account of reality. It was refreshing to hear someone say that they are not the expert, but then again it made me feel like "why the heck am I reading your book?" I have mixed feelings. I think I would have preferred that one of the consultants write a book- though this is probably close to the same thing. I admire Lassiter but agree with his friend who said that getting too involved would make it hard to be the anthropologist. Am I saying that I prefer the detailed accounts that likely have things a bit wrong? Well, I do prefer to read it that way- I am just a facts type of person.

[Tosha · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is based on a true life experience with the Kiowan people who are indigenous but display thier own way of prayer and love to a Higher Power through song. It is written by Lassiter who is a anthropologist who stayed with the Kiowans to gain knowledge of thier song! (Also good for boyscouts or parents of a boyscout)