Find ideas and links for Native American music, dance, and cultural resources from and about Native American culture bearers.
There is no single American Indian culture or language. Researching tribes in your own area is the best way to learn about and honor Native Americans. Each tribe has its own unique traditions, history, and terminology.
Best Practice: Instead of saying Native American, use a person’s tribe to identify them. Example: Instead of “Native American author Cynthia Leitich Smith” say “Author Cynthia Leitich Smith of the Muscogee Creek Tribe”.
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Native American Resources for Teachers
General Information
- Tribes-Find your local tribe.
- PowWows.com-A wealth of information on this site.
- National Congress of American Indians-Another great site for information about tribes.
For Teachers
- Lesson Ideas-From a teacher with Apache Tribal Heritage on WeAreTeachers.
- American Indians In Children’s Literature (AICL)-A great site to find books that are recommended and check for those that are NOT recommended.
- Tips for Teachers-from AICL
Music & Musicians
- Free choral selection-Here’s a new, open-access choral work (in a variety of voicings) by Sherryl Sewepahagam, a Cree-Dene artist from the Little Red River Cree Nation, commissioned for the 2026 CBC Music Class Challenge, titled “mitêh.” Find the scores to mitêh along with a performance and pronunciation guide.
Note: This has been designed for…“educators who wish to integrate Indigenous languages into music programs in a way that honours Indigenous ways of knowing and cultural practices in a respectful manner.” (musicounts) - Powered by MusiCountsCanyon Records-Canyon Records of Phoenix, Arizona, producer and distributor of Native American music, is one of the oldest independent record labels (since 1951) in the music industry as well as one of the oldest cultural institutions in the state of Arizona.
- Native American Music for K-6-This is a well-rounded resource although I’d start first with a look at the tribes in your area.
- Native American Musicians
- Sharon Burch-Colors of My Heart is a book and a collection of songs on CD.
- R. Carlos Nakai of Navajo and Ute heritage, is a famous flute player.
- Sharon Burch-Colors of My Heart is a book and a collection of songs on CD.
Literature & Music Lesson Ideas
Here are Native American books with an integrated music element along with lesson plan ideas.
Jingle Dancer
Jingle Dancer is the story of a young Muscogee Creek girl who is going to do the Jingle Dance for the first time at an upcoming powwow.
Book by Cynthia Leitich Smith (author) & Cornelius Van Wright, Ying-Hwa Hu (illustrators).
(affiliate link)
Lesson Plan Outline: Read (or watch below) the story of “Jingle Dancer.” Then watch short videos about the history of and how to do the dance.
The Heartbeat Drum
The Heartbeat Drum is an inspiring picture book biography of Cree activist and musician, Carol Powder, who founded an Indigenous hand drumming group, led by women and children, that spreads joy, healing, and unity.
The author is Deidre Havrelock (Cree and Irish). Illustrations by Aphelandra (Filipino and Oneida (Native American) ancestry).
Read Along, Draw Along Video Lesson
- The author provides background into her inspiration for writing the book.
- The illustrator shows exactly how to draw the design on the drum she created for the book.
- The design represents the interests of the drummer so you could have students draw the book design or create one of their own.
This would be a SUPER whole-class lesson!
Lesson Plan Outline for Rock Your World
Carol Powder and her 13-year-old grandson, Noah Green, started performing as duo Chubby Cree when Noah was two. Listen to how they combine native and pop sounds in “Rock Your World.”
Find the “boom boom chuck” rhythm (2 eighths quarter) in the Rock Your World video below and play along. (pat pat clap)
SkySisters
SkySisters is about two Ojibway sisters who set off across the frozen north country to see the SkySpirits’ midnight dance. After an exhilarating walk and patient waiting, the girls are rewarded by the arrival of the SkySpirits — the northern lights — dancing and shimmering in the night sky.
Book by Jan Bourdeau Waboose (Author), Brian Deines (Illustrator)
(affiliate link)
Lesson Plan Outline: Read (or watch below) the story SkySisters. Then do the movement activity in the video below, Elementary Music & Movement-Northern Lights & Flute Music.
Native American Music at My School
When we know better, we do better.
Doing better was researching my local tribes. I did Google searches, searched on YouTube, and eventually found a YouTube video that was of a powwow in my area with a link to a culture bearer. Then I was able to contact that person and after some conversations back and forth, he gave me a drumming piece.
My guidelines from him were the same as what I read everywhere, that teaching without background, meaning, and significance is wrong. Because of these requests, I’ve never shared this resource. My conversations back and forth with the culture bearer were like a mini-workshop and allowed me to learn from him all about the above-mentioned particulars.
When I brought the activity to the kids, it was with all of the information that I had been given and was a meaningful learning experience for them. I’m forever grateful that he took the time, trusted me, and gave me this precious part of his tribe’s culture.
Native American Music & Dance
Kammu Rabbit Book
Kammu Kammu is an interactive flipbook (digital download) with an original story and song by Native American music educator Michelle McCauley.
The story is about a young child and a rabbit and features some of the Northern Paiute Language from the Pyramid Lake Paiute Tribe (Michelle’s tribe).
It comes with a PDF teaching and pronunciation guide for educators to use in the classroom and an MP3 recording of the song, Kammu Kammu.
This is an ebook for immediate digital download.
Native American Music Workshop
This is a (free) subscriber site and has full lesson plans, videos, and resources.
Ojibwe Powwow Dancing
A tutorial on the dress and steps and meaning in powwow dancing.
Powwow Dancing
A short demonstration by a young dancer with information on the regalia, meaning, and steps of powwow dancing.
Hoop Dance from Winnipeg Canada
Not sure of the tribe but this reiterates the one-two steps in the powwow dance above along with hoops, accompanied by drum and singer.
Powwow Child Grass Dancer
From the Manito Ahbee Festival, the site says, “The Manito Ahbee sacred site is located in the western Whiteshell area of Manitoba. Manito Ahbee, an Ojibway word means, “where the Creator sits.”
The site is recognized and honoured by Indigenous peoples across North America as a sacred place for all people. The name of the province, Manitoba, is itself derived from the name of this sacred site.”
Native American Culture
Native Land
Information about Native lands and Indigenous territories, treaties, and languages including a teacher guide, searchable map, and other resources.
Crow | The Legend
Crow: The Legend is an exciting new animated movie starring John Legend as Crow, the most popular and admired animal in the forest with his magnificent colors and beautiful voice. But when the very first winter arrives, can Crow make the ultimate sacrifice to save his friends?
Inspired by the original Native American legend, this story of sacrifice and community features Randy Edmonds, Kiowa-Caddo tribal elder and founder of the National Urban Indian Council as Narrator and Sarah Eagle Heart, CEO of Native Americans in Philanthropy, as Luna.
