The North American continent has been home to Indigenous people for thousands of years. Many Native tribes emphasize their connection to the physical landscape as central to their identity and culture, creating musical instruments that reflect the sights and sounds of the region. Even though colonization stopped many Native Americans from passing down parts of their culture to younger generations, today, Indigenous instrument makers reclaim their heritage by using traditional symbols. Modern Native instruments tell of each tribe’s perseverance, development, and continuing respect for their places of origin.
During the Colonial Period, immigrants from many nations made new homes in North America. Their descendants would later grow up knowing the United States as their home, and their country of origin. Despite their distance from their family’s place of origin, the descendants often remember and honor their family’s homeland, no matter how far away.
Today, Native Americans, immigrants, and their descendants contribute to our culture. The resulting instruments are diverse, just like the people who made them and the lands that inspired them.
