An interview with Dead Feather, exploring his powerful song "American Dreams," his journey as a deaf, self-taught musician, and his mission to preserve Mvskoke-Creek culture through rock music.
1.
“American Dreams” is such a powerful title. What does this song represent to
you personally and culturally?
Yes. American Dreams is most definitely a strong title. When one thinks of America, the phrase "land of opportunity" or something along that line usually comes to mind at some point. Of course that element is there, but at what cost? For me, it represents the historical relationship between the US and the indigenous folk who occupied the land before Western expansion or what was then called Progress during the civilization process and the forced removal of what we call the Five Civilized Tribes. American Dreams is an observation from an uneducated deaf man who grew up in the lower class of the social hierarchy. A man in search of his culture and history. A man who has observed the eradication of any traditional beliefs and practices and the destruction of the planet by the same people or organizations in power who claim to want to help the common man. Here we are years later still repeating the same cycle of destruction. These cycles are the generational results of the same founding fathers who put the civilization process into place for the Mvskoke-Creek in the late 1790's. I think the title captures the essence of the subject at hand.
2. As a deaf self-taught musician, what challenges did you face in creating
this song, and how did you overcome them?
Being deaf certainly has its challenges. Not being able to hear, especially high pitches, I started studying chords and their finger placements and continued to strum those chords over and over until it became comfortable to switch to other chords with ease. After that, I studied the basic song structures of my favorite bands that used the same chords I was familiar with. Once I was comfortable piecing together songs, I just started adding the lyrics. A majority of the songs for the Cate Heleswv (Red Medicine) project began in this manner. You just have to be courageous and paint your canvas with the colors you are given.
3. You’ve described your work as an “audio sculpture.” Could you explain
what that means and how it applies to this project?
Being a creative type every once in a while, I'm usually trying to find ways to
express my story through different mediums. For this project, it's basically an
extended canvas of the Dead Feather concept. The album itself is intended to be
listened to while viewing the Dead Feather concept in its art gallery setting.
There's only 100 pressings of both the vinyl and compact disc. All hand
assembled. I was a vinyl collector for a while. I always wanted to incorporate
vinyl into my art. This project allows me to do that. I had to sell most of my
good records to generate the funds for this pressing. I find the whole ordeal
poetic. But the whole project is being approached as an audio art sculpture.
I'm personally not a fan of of technology and how it's being used to approach
art. By limiting the albums physical availability, I feel I'm honoring the
sacred practice of human creativity and self discovery.
4. Much
of your art reflects the effects of assimilation and the civilization process
on the Mvskoke-Creek people. How does “American Dreams” continue that
narrative?
American Dreams is the second song I attempted to write for the project. This is one of the few songs that captures the full aesthetic and atmosphere I wanted to create for the Dead Feather concept. For those not aware, the Mvskoke-Creek were the first to be civilized under a six point civilization process put into effect by George Washington. This included doing away with all traditional beliefs and practices, becoming farmers and tilling the land, doing away with speaking the Mvskoke language and Christianizing the Mvskoke using the Bible as their main tool of conversion. The process is quite simple, but would take years to finally see the effects. It's a generational process. Our founding fathers were well aware of this. American Dreams is just a modern take on what the civilization process looks like.
5. Your grandfather and family history clearly influenced your perspective.
How do generational stories and struggles shape your songwriting?
Well, it's interesting looking at my family history. I'm a distant cousin to Citto Harjo who led the Snake Uprising. Also, by clan, I am connected to Tecumseh. The Mvskoke go by their matrilineal clan. My grandfather was of the Wotko (Raccoon) clan. I'm from the Este Papv (Wild Cat/Man Eater) clan. My grandfather's father and his grandfather's all spoke Mvskoke-Creek. My grandfather was forced to go to a boarding school and learn to speak English. He soon became a Baptist preacher. Throughout his adult life, he never encouraged the language or stories to be told in his household. His father always told him "It's a White Man's world." This practice continued on with his children. Growing up, Mvskoke-Creek culture or traditions weren't really discussed. Only when we would visit distant cousins who were aware of the traditions and stories was I able to briefly understand my cultural background and history. It wasn't until he was older that my grandfather began to encourage his children and grandchildren to speak their language and know their history and culture. He eventually passed on his extensive library over to me. That's where a lot of the inspiration comes from as far as the songwriting and creating art. But a lot of the songs are generally based on personal experience or deep research.
6. You collaborated with Adam Stanley, Issac Nelson, and other talented
contributors on this track. How did their involvement help bring your vision to
life?
I met Adam a while ago through a good friend of ours. He was working on an album with his band Stanley Hotel. I was reading/writing poetry a lot back then, around 2008 or so. I read him a poem and he wanted to work with me at some point. That point came in 2024. We met again through our good friend and I began discussing the details of the Dead Feather concept and what I was going for audio-wise. Soon we got together at Remote Studios in Wellston, Oklahoma, owned by Doug Swindell. With Issac Nelson as the audio engineer along with Adam Stanley, also both on instrumentation, the album Cate Heleswv (Red Medicine) Vol 1 came to life. Being deaf, their input was both crucial and vital to getting the sound and aesthetic down creating the profound atmosphere that helps define the Dead Feather concept. Adam and Issac are the key to bringing the Dead Feather sound to life. A sound we termed "Porretv" (bo-thlee-dah), meaning "to witch". A term I threw around to describe my paintings. They took my acoustic campfire songs and and turned them into magnificent audio sculptures that will forever immortalize Mvskoke-Creek themes and elements into the rock n roll arena. With the help and talent of Elizabeth Swindell's horn work and the heavenly backing vocals of Elexa Dawson, Carli Dawson, Rose Dawson and Cameron, you can almost grasp at the spiritual embodiment that dominates the album.
7. Rock music isn’t often associated with Native American storytelling. Why
did you choose rock as your vehicle for cultural expression?
I've always wanted to make a rock n roll album. Because of my deafness, it never seemed like that could be a reality. But because of the kindness of Adam Stanley, Issac Nelson, Doug Swindell, Elexa Dawson and all involved up at Remote Studios, I was blessed to see it manifest. In that sense, I feel the album and art concept is spiritually guided. But I love the rock n roll aesthetic. I remember growing up to my uncles always rocking out and partying. One of my uncles had this photo album he used as a scrapbook full of concert stubs, magazine articles and photos of bands he had seen. Seeing these photos of bands like Led Zeppelin, Black Sabbath, Aerosmith, and Grand Funk Railroad up on a stage in the spotlight rocking out, I just knew these guys were my tribe. According to my mother and my aunt, I was babysat by members of Lynyrd Skynyrd as an infant. We lived on the corner of some of the bands in Florida. I don't remember that of course, but the rock n roll element had always been there. Plus, growing up, I never had the proper resources around to gather any information on Mvskoke-Creek history. Music is a universal medium everyone loves and with today's technology, it's easily accessible. By using music as an educational tool, it makes learning fun. We have all this information at our finger tips and anyone who wants to learn about Mvskoke-Creek history or themes or native american subject matter can now have access to that information and still be entertained with a rock n roll flair. Education doesn't have to be boring.
8. The project blends spirituality, cultural memory, and personal
resilience. How do you balance these elements without losing the raw emotional
core of your music?
Interesting
question. I don't think I really had to balance anything. That raw emotional
core you mention is just me being myself. I suppose as I was growing up, I
always knew, as an American Indian, the Church wasn't a natural part of my
spirituality. So, I began a mission to understand where I came from and to
understand spirituality coming from a Mvskoke-Creek perspective. The Dead
Feather concept is ever growing. It's a lifestyle. I suppose it all balances
itself out over time once you have a mission or goal. Just continue on with the
mission at a pace that's comfortable. Eventually everything just falls into
place, but to an outsider it may look like perfection and balance. It's really
a matter of setting a goal and not stopping.
9. Your journey spans poetry, painting, dolls, masks, and now music. What
made you decide that this story needed to be told through song rather than
another medium?
Well, as I mentioned earlier, I've always wanted to make a rock n roll record centered around Mvskoke-Creek and Native American themes. Before the album was conceived, I was trying to get sponsorship and funding for a stage play in which I expand on the stories of various Mvskoke-Creek deities and monsters that have been eradicated due to the civilization process. Unfortunately, that never transpired, so I began writing the songs in my downtime. I thought the play would be the best way to tell the stories, but the universe is saying try rock n roll. Plus, I work at an elementary school. Students seem to be more engaged and involved when you present a lesson in a more entertaining way. I think rock music can be a excellent tool for learning.
10. Do you see your music as a form of cultural preservation, activism, or
both?
I'll be honest, I'm not a political person but, I can understand how the causual listener might take it that way. The Dead Feather oncept is a spiritual journey fir the artist. A journey in understanding your environment and surroundings. Both your internal diet and external diet. You are what you feed yourself and surround yourself with. If you know something is wrong, what will you do to remedy the situation or help the environment thrive? I suppose it's both, a form of cultural preservation and activism, in that sense.
11. What impact do you hope “American Dreams” and Cate Heleswv (Red
Medicine) Vol. 1 will have on listeners—Native and non-Native alike?
Well, looking back at the subject at hand, as far as the historical relationship between the US and the Native American community, I hope the song and the album will help the listener practice kindness and respect for one another and to take care of the planet. Hug a tree. Kiss the sky. Touch earth. Protect the water. I know it's complicated, but it's possible. The situation regarding the historical treatment of Native Americans, take for example some of the wars concerning the Mvskoke-Creek (the War of 1812, The Red Stick Wars, the Battle of Horseshoe Bend, the Trail of Tears, Relocation, the Dawes Act), that treatment still continues on to this day in other parts of the world. This goes beyond Native and non-Native. We all have to use our talents to the best of our abilities if we want to get it together. And we can do it. But, yes. Love. Kindness. Peace. Respect. Taking care of the planet and one another. That's the impact I would like to see, I suppose.
12. Looking ahead, do you plan to continue developing Dead Feather as a
long-term musical project, or do you see it evolving into something entirely
new?
There's
three more volumes to Cate Heleswv (Red Medicine). We'll see what happens. But
yes, it's definitely a long term musical project. In the meantime, I'm just
enjoying sharing the current album with anyone who wants to listen and creating
whenever the need arises.
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