2006年VOA标准英语-Roots of Award-Winning Native American Drum Gro

By Joseph Mok
Washington, DC
12 June 2006
 
watch Black Eagle report

Black Eagle, a Native American drum group from Jemez, New Mexico, has successfully melded its unique native Towa language singing with powwow drumming.  VOA's Joseph Mok reports on this Grammy Award-winning group, and its voyage of success from a small village in New Mexico to the nation's capital. Elaine Lu narrates¹ his report.

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Black Eagle   
  

The land of the Black Eagle group is a village nestled against the majestic² Canyon³ de Don Diego.  Home to beautiful red mesas, adobe⁴ houses, and an ancient culture, the pueblo⁵ of Jemez is a small community about 80 kilometers north of Albuquerque, and one of the 19 Indian pueblos⁶ in the southwestern U.S. state of New Mexico. 

Black Eagle's "Flying Free" album won the 2004 Grammy Award in the Best Native American Music Album category.  The group is made up of 20 musicians from three generations.  Shawn Yepa, the youngest band member, is still in school.   

 
David Yepa
  
One of the oldest members is David Yepa, a grandfather and lawyer by profession, and a well-respected member of the community.  He recalls a trip to Montana with his wife and son Malcolm, where family friend Jimmy Little Coyote introduced Malcolm to the world of the powwow.

"He told us all about the powwow. And it is for everybody - all the Indian natives. If you want to, you can go ahead and try it. Sing for the people and see how it comes out."

Powwow is a cultural, ritual, social, and spiritual gathering⁷ of Native American people.  They come together at various times of the year to renew family, clan⁸ and tribal⁹ ties. They also forge social and political alliances, celebrate victories, and hold religious and spiritual ceremonies.

The word powwow comes from the Algonquian language: "pau-wau" or "pauau", referred to a gathering of medicine men or spiritual leaders. "Pau-wauing" referred to a religious ceremony, usually one of curing.  In the 1800s, Europeans who observed these religious gatherings¹⁰ and dances mispronounced the word as powwow. Non-Indians began to use the term to describe nearly any gathering of native people. 

Malcolm Yepa  
  
Malcolm Yepa is now the lead singer of the Black Eagle drum group.  He was a teenager in 1989 when he founded the band with his family and friends. 

"If you want to feel good, go to a powwow. Sit there and pray with the drum. Listen to the beat and the songs, and the dancing, and the things that are going on. Sooner or later, the feeling will hit you to your heart. You will notice it is the heart beat of your life."

At the beginning, the focus was only on pure native music. It is changing. Dave Yepa likes to put in some English lyrics¹¹; so non-native people can understand what they are singing about.

Fame has not really affected¹² the daily lives of the Black Eagle members: they are still either working or in school.  But they have begun to receive invitations to perform all over the country.  Last year, the band played at the National Powwow in Washington D.C., and at the American Indian Museum. 

At the gathering, the Black Eagles shared the stage with other American Indians.  

Derrick Davis  
  
Derrick Davis is a dancer from a Hopi pueblo community. "We went to these inter-tribal gatherings called powwow where everybody can participate. And even though in our pueblo community we have our own songs and dances. As an individual, we can choose to be part of this inter-tribal powwow arena¹³ as well. We are welcomed there. It's a gift to play in the beautiful nation's capital to help people being together."

Joining Black Eagle's vibrant drum beat, and letting loose at the powwow indeed gives people a sense of being together, a feeling that resonates even beyond the Native American tribes

1 narrates   

v.故事( narrate的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• It narrates the unconstitutional acts of James II. 它历数了詹姆斯二世的违法行为。 来自辞典例句
• Chapter three narrates the economy activity which Jew return the Occident. 第三章讲述了犹太人重返西欧后的经济活动。 来自互联网

2 majestic   

adj.雄伟的，壮丽的，庄严的，威严的，崇高的

参考例句：

• In the distance rose the majestic Alps.远处耸立着雄伟的阿尔卑斯山。
• He looks majestic in uniform.他穿上军装显得很威风。

3 canyon   

n.峡谷，溪谷

参考例句：

• The Grand Canyon in the USA is 1900 metres deep.美国的大峡谷1900米深。
• The canyon is famous for producing echoes.这个峡谷以回声而闻名。

4 adobe   

n.泥砖，土坯，美国Adobe公司

参考例句：

• They live in an adobe house.他们住在一间土坯屋里。
• Adobe bricks must drived dried completely before are used.土坯砖块使用前一定要完全干燥。

5 pueblo   

n.（美国西南部或墨西哥等）印第安人的村庄

参考例句：

• For over 2,000 years,Pueblo peoples occupied a vast region of the south-western United States.在长达2，000多年的时间里，印第安人统治着现在美国西南部的大片土地。
• The cross memorializes the Spanish victims of the 1680 revolt,when the region's Pueblo Indians rose up in violent protest against their mistreatment and burned the cit

6 pueblos   

n.印第安人村庄( pueblo的名词复数 )

参考例句：

7 gathering   

n.集会，聚会，聚集

参考例句：

• He called on Mr. White to speak at the gathering.他请怀特先生在集会上讲话。
• He is on the wing gathering material for his novels.他正忙于为他的小说收集资料。

8 clan   

n.氏族，部落，宗族，家族，宗派

参考例句：

• She ranks as my junior in the clan.她的辈分比我小。
• The Chinese Christians,therefore,practically excommunicate themselves from their own clan.所以，中国的基督徒简直是被逐出了自己的家族了。

9 tribal   

adj.部族的，种族的

参考例句：

• He became skilled in several tribal lingoes.他精通几种部族的语言。
• The country was torn apart by fierce tribal hostilities.那个国家被部落间的激烈冲突弄得四分五裂。

10 gatherings   

聚集( gathering的名词复数 )； 收集； 采集； 搜集

参考例句：

• His conduct at social gatherings created a lot of comment. 他在社交聚会上的表现引起许多闲话。
• During one of these gatherings a pupil caught stealing. 有一次，其中一名弟子偷窃被抓住。

11 lyrics   

n.歌词

参考例句：

• music and lyrics by Rodgers and Hart 由罗杰斯和哈特作词作曲
• The book contains lyrics and guitar tablatures for over 100 songs. 这本书有100多首歌的歌词和吉他奏法谱。

12 affected   

adj.不自然的，假装的

参考例句：

• She showed an affected interest in our subject.她假装对我们的课题感到兴趣。
• His manners are affected.他的态度不自然。

13 arena   

n.竞技场，运动场所；竞争场所，舞台

参考例句：

• She entered the political arena at the age of 25. 她25岁进入政界。
• He had not an adequate arena for the exercise of his talents.他没有充分发挥其才能的场所。