Native American Fiddling

Native American fiddling encompasses both the full blood and metis traditions. In native communities, the fiddling sometimes became entwined with the vision quest nature of spiritual growth. In the middle ground, metis (part Native American and part northern European, a Canadian/northern US term) fiddlers bridged the gap between the old and new worlds. (Cajun afficionados may find links here later...)

| Fiddlers | Bibliography | Discography |

Fiddlers:

Gilbert Anderson, 68, Edmonton, The Drops of Brandy, Gabriel Dumont Institute of Native Studies and Applied Research.
Arcand, John, Master of the Metis fiddle, has a website promoting his instructional books and lessons, recordings, bookings and judging bookings, and his annual Fiddle Festival in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan.
Anger, Darol Anger, of Turtle Island String Quartet and David Grisman Quintet fame. See Darol's site for discography and the Fiddlers 4 with Michael Doucet, Bruce Molsky, and cellist Rushad Eggleston. Darol's albums are on the Compass Records label.

Blech, Kerry. Every old-time fiddle buff knows Kerry--personally. His home page and his page in the Old Time Fiddlers Hall of Fame. Kerry has an encyclopedic knowledge of old-time fiddling.

Bird, Arvel, whose CD Birdstock: Fiddle Tunes for the Birds on Singing Wolf Records was nominated Best Folk/Country Artist and Best Instrumental Recording from the Fifth Annual NAMMIES (Native American Music Association Awards), as reported in Indian Country Today. Also featured on the Native Nashville website and reviewed on Tripod. Arvel has owned his own recording studio, Brush Hill Studio, since 1993.

Boyer, Alfred Hap, 74, North Battleford, Saskatchewan on The Drops of Brandy, Gabriel Dumont Institute of Native Studies and Applied Research.

Callihoo, Richard, 82 of Grovedale, Alta, elder statesman of Metis fiddling, on The Drops of Brandy, Gabriel Dumont Institute of Native Studies and Applied Research.

Cromo, Lee, a Micmaq, Nova Scotian fiddler, featured on the First Nations Musicians Linklist on Tripod.

Gardipy, Henry, 53, North Battleford, Saskatchewan, The Drops of Brandy, Gabriel Dumont Institute of Native Studies and Applied Research.

Houle, Teddy Boy, featured performer at the first Great Lakes Folk Festival. See the 2002 Festival Highlights. Also on the Wood That Sings CD. Teddy's Red River Jig transcribed by Anne Lederman is in the 2001/2002 Fiddler issue. Fiddling.ca's Manitoba site still in production should have info about Teddy Boy soon. (Manitoba is the yellow one left of Saskatchewan.)

Lafferty, Richard, 58, Hay River, N.W.T., The Drops of Brandy, Gabriel Dumont Institute of Native Studies and Applied Research.

LaRocque, Jimme, featured on the Metis Legacy Performance website. and on the Wood That Sings CD.

Lardinoi, John, aka Fiddlin' Johnny, with two albums out on the Makoche Recording Company label also on the Metis Legacy Performance website. Check out the NAMMYS links page for more native American artists.

Emile Lavallee, 61, Manitoba, on The Drops of Brandy, Gabriel Dumont Institute of Native Studies and Applied Research.

Paul, George Fidelis, (Micmaq), Nova Scotian Fiddler.

Poitras, Homer, 68, from Elk Point, Alta on The Drops of Brandy, Gabriel Dumont Institute of Native Studies and Applied Research.

Stevens, Bill Athabascan Fiddler, Bill Stevens, PO Box 10025, Fairbanks, AK 99710, Phone: (907) 457-7811.

Captain Vollrath, 4614 127th Ave., Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, T5A 2X8 (403) 456-8059, info at the Saksatchewan Fiddle Web.

Bibliography:

Fredson, John. Wild Melodies from the Arctic. 1929.

Hourie, Audreen, "Traditional Metis Music And Dance," on the Metis Resource Centre web page.

Lederman, Anne. "Native and Métis Fiddling: Portrait of a People," Fiddler magazine article. Also see Anne Lederman's website.

Lederman, Anne. "Old Indian and Metis Fiddling in Two Manitoba Communities: Camperville and Ebb and Flow," in The Canadian Journal of Native Styles 8(2)205-30.

Lederman, Anne, "Old Indian and Metis Fiddling in Manitba: Origins, Structure, and Questions of Syncretism," Canadian Journal for Traditional Music (1991).

Loukinen, Michael. Medicine Fiddle. (film) 1991. "...Loukinen visited several reservations in North Dakota, Wisconsin, northern Michigan, Manitoba, and southern Ontario to record Indian fiddlers and step dancers... Medicine Fiddle shows that Indian fiddling in the northern midwest is largely performed outdoors, at least in the summer months, and that historically it got a foothold in the remote logging camps employing Indian men..." (p. 151)

Mishler, Craig. "Athapaskan Indian Fiddling: A Musical History," Alaska Magazine 53(11):47-51.

Mishler, Craig. The Crooked Stovepipe. 1993. Also see the review in the Canadian Journal for Traditional Music.

Discography:

(For John Arcand and Captain Vollrath's recordings, see their websites.

Animal Totems, Arvel Bird, Singing Wolf Records.

Athapaskan Old-Time Fiddling Festival, 1983. Institute of Alaska Native Arts (IANA), P O Box 80583, Fairbanks, Alaska, 99708.

Athapaskan Old-Time Fiddling Festival, "The Metal That Sings", 1984. Institute of Alaska Native Arts (IANA), P O Box 80583, Fairbanks, Alaska, 99708.

Aural History, Jimmie Lardinois, MC0112, Makoche Recording Company.

Bill Stevens: Alaska Gwich'in Fiddler, 1995. Bill Stevens, PO Box 10025, Fairbanks, AK 99710, Phone: (907) 457-7811.

Birdstock: Fiddle Tunes for the Birds, Arvel Bird, Singing Wolf Records.

Chippewa Cajun, Eddie "King" Johnson, 502 North 26th Street, Bismarck, North Dakota, 58501.

Cowboy Legacy, John Lardinois, CR0144, Makoche Recording Company.

The Drops of Brandy CD released by the Gabriel Dumont Institute of Native Studies and Applied Research.

Echoes of the Prairie, John Arcand, Box 1252, Whitecourt, Alberta, Canada, T7S 1P2.

FIDELIS on the FIDDLE, is available in Eskasoni at George Paul's Barber Shop (902)379-2576 and Ben Sylliboy's Grocery and Petro Canada (902) 379-2223.

Grey Eagle, Old Time Fiddle Music by Bill Stevens, 2002. Bill Stevens, PO Box 10025, Fairbanks, AK 99710, Phone: (907) 457-7811.

Gwich'in Athabascan Fiddle Music, 1999, Bill Stevens, PO Box 10025, Fairbanks, AK 99710, Phone: (907) 457-7811.

Interior Tunes: Athapascan Old-Time Music, 1987. Institute of Alaska Native Arts (IANA), P O Box 80583, Fairbanks, Alaska 99708.

My Cabin Don't Leak, Arvel Bird, Singing Wolf Records.

Old Native And Métis Fiddling in Manitoba, Vols 1 & 2, Falcon FP - 187 and 287 - 1987. Double lps, produced by Anne Lederman; consultant and translator: Lawrence ‘Teddy BoyEHoule.

Oldtime Fiddler of Chicoutimi, Quebec, 1977, VRCD 322, Louis Boudreault, Voyager Recordings, 424 35th Avenue, Seattle, Washingon 98122.

Old Time O'Odham Fiddle Music, Gu-Achi Fiddler, 1997, Canyon Records, Amazon.com buying info.

Polar Bear Rug Rag, Frank Cockney, Box 284, Tuktoyaktuk, North West Territory, X03 1C0.

Rakish Paddy, Arvel Bird, Singing Wolf Records.

The Talhtan Fiddler, Gerald Edzerza, Box 333, Watson Lake, Yukon Territory, Y0A 1C0.

Traditional Christmas: Christmas with Fred and Arvel, Brush Hill Studios.

Traditional Papago & Tohono O'Odham Music, 1998, Canyon Records, buying info from Amazon.com.

Wood That Sings, Indian Fiddle Music of the Americas, Smithsonian Folkways 40472. See Heather Horner's Review of this CD or the Old-Time Herald's Review in their Winter 1998 issue.

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Last Updated: 10/23/02