Traditional Klamath, Modoc Songs Subject of Program

KLAMATH FALLS, Ore. – A program on traditional Klamath and Modoc songs will be presented at 7 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 1, at the Klamath County Museum.

Museum Curator Niles Reynolds will examine samples of Native American music obtained by anthropologists at various points in time. The program is the third in a series of Klamath anthropological presentations by Reynolds at the museum.

Reynolds will discuss changes and continuities in the music over time, and how such comparisons correlate to sociocultural conditions and historic events. Attention will be given to specific musical features, such as the Ghost Dance, that connect to a broader narrative and context in the United States during the late 1800s and early 1900s.

Other historical points of interest will include the Modoc War, tribal termination and restoration, and the relationships between neighboring tribes in Southern Oregon and Northern California.

Specific historical sources of Klamath/Modoc music to be discussed in the program include recordings dating as early as 1907.

The program is free and open to anyone interested. The program will be presented in the main hall of the museum building.

For more contact the Klamath County Museum, 1451 Main St. in Klamath Falls, at (541) 882-1000.

Press release provided from the Klamath County Museum.

The use of music in traditional Klamath Indian culture, including shaman rituals, will be examined in a program offered Thursday, Nov. 1, at the Klamath County Museum.