Powwow in the Classroom

Abstract

With a little advance preparation, bout thirty years ago, educational philosophy and practice in the United States began moving away from the "melting pot" notion (the idea that different cultures and ethnic groups within the United States would gradually blend together) toward "multiculturalism" (the idea that the many different subgroups or minorities within this country and the world must be acknowledged and granted status equivalent to that of the dominant culture). The Education Amendments Act of 1972 (PL 92-318) made multicultural education a legal requirement.1 While multicultural education was certainly not a new idea for music educators, this legislation spurred increased interest in inclusion ofdiverse music in the curriculum. The mandate was clear: To afford to students opportunities to learn about the nature of their own cultural heritage, and to study the contributions of the cultural heritages of the other ethnic groups of the Nation. (Title IX, PL 92-318)2 music educators can teach American Indian music from a culturally appropriate perspective.