0 Comments Folk and Blues Awards Among Nammys Presented Saturday

Last night’s Native American Music Awards included the Best Folk Recording award, won by Atsiaktonkie for Four Wolves Prophecy, and the Best Blues Recording award, won by Graywolf Blues Band for Dancing in the Rain. The Best Compilation Recording award was presented to Joanne Shenandoah and Michael Bucher for Bitter Tears Sacred Ground, a Native history album that honors the music of Johnny Cash, Peter La Farge and Floyd Red Crow Westerman while recreating several cuts from Cash’s Bitter Tears album. Cash’s Native heritage is well-known and Bitter Tears has become part of the Native American music tapestry. La Farge is perhaps best known in folk music circles for writing “The Ballad of Ira Hayes,” a song later covered by Cash and by Bob Dylan. In addition to his music, Red Crow has had a long and distinguished career as a Native American activist and as an actor. He broke into the popular folk music scene in 1970 with the song “Custer Died for Your Sins.” The full list of award winners is available on the NAMA site.