The Black Lodge Singers perform one of their popular songs, Soldier Boy, at an educational event to celebrate Native American Heritage month at Columbia Gorge Community College on Thursday, Nov. 17, 2022.
Short fringe dancer Dolly Heemsah performs at an educational event to celebrate Native American Heritage month at Columbia Gorge Community College on Thursday, Nov. 17, 2022.
Creighton ScabbyRobe performs a grass dance at an educational event to celebrate Native American Heritage month at Columbia Gorge Community College on Thursday, Nov. 17, 2022. Grass dances originally served to flatten the grass in an area. "Before the people would settle, they would go out and stomp the grass down," Algin ScabbyRobe explained.
Brylen ScabbyRobe performs a prairie chicken dance at an educational event to celebrate Native American Heritage month at Columbia Gorge Community College on Thursday, Nov. 17, 2022.
Algin ScabbyRobe introduces the next song while the Black Lodge Singers take a momentary break at an educational event to celebrate Native American Heritage month at Columbia Gorge Community College on Thursday, Nov. 17, 2022.
Young audience members join a friendship dance, lead by Norberta ScabbyRobe (fare left) and Algin ScabbyRobe, at an educational event to celebrate Native American Heritage month at Columbia Gorge Community College on Thursday, Nov. 17, 2022.
Audience member and veteran James Kiona joins dancer Norberta ScabbyRobe in a friendship dance at an educational event to celebrate Native American Heritage month at Columbia Gorge Community College on Thursday, Nov. 17, 2022.
Norberta ScabbyRobe, right, explains Bayler ScabbyRobe’s traditional dance outfit, from his single bustle of eagle feathers to his crowning roach of porcupine hair. The Black Lodge Singers performed at an educational event to celebrate Native American Heritage month at Columbia Gorge Community College on Thursday, Nov. 17, 2022.
Short fringe dancer Dolly Heemsah performs at an educational event to celebrate Native American Heritage month at Columbia Gorge Community College on Thursday, Nov. 17, 2022.
Bayler ScabbyRobe performs a sneak up dance at an educational event to celebrate Native American Heritage month at Columbia Gorge Community College on Thursday, Nov. 17, 2022.
The Black Lodge Singers perform one of their popular songs, Soldier Boy, at an educational event to celebrate Native American Heritage month at Columbia Gorge Community College on Thursday, Nov. 17, 2022.
Flora Gibson photo
Short fringe dancer Dolly Heemsah performs at an educational event to celebrate Native American Heritage month at Columbia Gorge Community College on Thursday, Nov. 17, 2022.
Flora Gibson photo
Creighton ScabbyRobe performs a grass dance at an educational event to celebrate Native American Heritage month at Columbia Gorge Community College on Thursday, Nov. 17, 2022. Grass dances originally served to flatten the grass in an area. "Before the people would settle, they would go out and stomp the grass down," Algin ScabbyRobe explained.
Flora Gibson photo
Brylen ScabbyRobe performs a prairie chicken dance at an educational event to celebrate Native American Heritage month at Columbia Gorge Community College on Thursday, Nov. 17, 2022.
Flora Gibson photo
Algin ScabbyRobe introduces the next song while the Black Lodge Singers take a momentary break at an educational event to celebrate Native American Heritage month at Columbia Gorge Community College on Thursday, Nov. 17, 2022.
Flora Gibson photo
Young audience members join a friendship dance, lead by Norberta ScabbyRobe (fare left) and Algin ScabbyRobe, at an educational event to celebrate Native American Heritage month at Columbia Gorge Community College on Thursday, Nov. 17, 2022.
Flora Gibson photo
Audience member and veteran James Kiona joins dancer Norberta ScabbyRobe in a friendship dance at an educational event to celebrate Native American Heritage month at Columbia Gorge Community College on Thursday, Nov. 17, 2022.
Flora Gibson photo
Norberta ScabbyRobe, right, explains Bayler ScabbyRobe’s traditional dance outfit, from his single bustle of eagle feathers to his crowning roach of porcupine hair. The Black Lodge Singers performed at an educational event to celebrate Native American Heritage month at Columbia Gorge Community College on Thursday, Nov. 17, 2022.
Flora Gibson photo
Short fringe dancer Dolly Heemsah performs at an educational event to celebrate Native American Heritage month at Columbia Gorge Community College on Thursday, Nov. 17, 2022.
Flora Gibson photo
Bayler ScabbyRobe performs a sneak up dance at an educational event to celebrate Native American Heritage month at Columbia Gorge Community College on Thursday, Nov. 17, 2022.
The Black Lodge Singers formed in the early 1980s, with Algin ScabbyRobe’s father, mother and siblings. It’s been a long time. “Forty-two years of singing at this drum, for the people,” ScabbyRobe remembers. He estimated there were perhaps 25 drum groups that traveled throughout the United States and Canada at that time, compared to “perhaps 250” now.
The group was nominated for a Grammy Award in 1994, in collaboration with R. Carlos Nakai and William Eaton. An additional seven nominations came after 2001. “We haven’t brought it home yet ... but one day we will, and then we’ll bring it here and show you,” Algin ScabbyRobe remarked. The group has recorded multiple albums as well.
One of their popular songs about Mickey Mouse “went viral” in the Indian community, ScabbyRobe recalled. Beginning in 2001, they also performed this song at a number of schools.
“Our children, they all dance ... we started them out before they started walking,” said ScabbyRobe, who started singing at 6 years old.
Another song performed that evening, Soldier Boy, which comes from an album of veteran’s songs, was created by Algin ScabbyRobe’s father.
“I get chills every time I tell this story,” said ScabbyRobe, who was called upon to sing this song over the telephone during recent wars. “We’d get a lot of ... telephone calls. ‘There’s a lot of rapid fire going on right now. I need to hear Soldier Boy.’” It gave soldiers confidence, he explained.
Over the evening, the Black Lodge Singers showcased a series of dances, in traditional and modern versions.
Algin ScabbyRobe narrated the dances, explained the costumes and origin stories of each dance.
Short fringe dances, performed by Dolly Heemsah, were invented by an energetic child, he said. She was so excited, she got a shawl and went out onto the floor and danced to represent what she felt. "I represented a butterfly," she told the elders afterward.
Bayler ScabbyRobe performed a traditional sneak up dance, scanning the horizon for signs of a quarry. Sneak up dances are meant to tell a story, Norberta ScabbyRobe explained, anything from hunting food to following enemy warriors.
Grass dances originally served to flatten the grass in an area. “Before the people would settle they would go out and stomp the grass down,” Algin ScabbyRobe explained.
The chicken dance, performed by Creighton ScabbyRobe, originated among the Blackfeet, Algin ScabbyRobe explained. A young boy, not being handsome, struggled to find a girlfriend. One night, when he was sleeping on the prairie, a prairie chicken showed him this courtship dance.
Fancy dancing was represented by songs alone. Fancy dancing “is the most athletic dance that we have in our culture,” Algin ScabbyRobe said. “You have to have muscles to stay on one foot, bounce and bounce, twist, move your arms, and make those feathers on top rock as fast as they can go.”
Afterwards, the audience was invited to join several friendship dances. “It’s not just for our tribal, indigenous people. It’s for everyone. These are dances to make you feel good when you’re out there dancing,” ScabbyRobe told the crowd encouragingly, as faculty, students and children joined the Black Lodge Singers on the floor.
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