Inside Up Where We Belong

Smithsonian's National Museum of the American Indian Presents Newest Exhibition

"Up Where We Belong: Native Musicians in Popular Culture" The first theme is "In the Spotlight," which focuses on Native performers who represent the diversity of artistry in American music. These artists include Academy Award-winning folk singer Buffy Sainte-Marie (Plains Cree), renowned jazz musician Oscar Pettiford (Cherokee/Choctaw) and instrumental innovator Wray (Shawnee).

"Encore" is the second segment of the exhibition and features artists who represent the span of Native achievement in mainstream music over the past half century. Some worked for years in the industry without wide acknowledgment of their Indian heritage, while others received recognition for integrating their Native identity into their music and for bringing Native themes to a wider audience. These artists include jazz saxophonist Jim Pepper (Kaw/Creek), heavy-metal guitarist and singer Chuck Billy (Pomo) and singer Debora Iyall (Cowlitz).

The final portion of this exhibition, "Keeping the Beat," highlights Native artists already achieving recognition across musical genres. These stars include country-music singer Crystal Shawanda (Ojibwa), blues-rock singer and guitarist Mato Nanji (Lakota) and singer, songwriter and musician Samantha Crain (Choctaw).Comment:  For more on the subject, see Up Where We Belong at NMAI and Hendrix Items Donated to NMAI.

Below:  Jimi Hendrix's coat.