Dystopian Listening Party Podcast: The True Meaning of Thanksgiving

Last year, Zach wrote that Thanksgiving is about two things: whitewashing the brutal history of colonialism against America’s native peoples, and eating a lot of goddamn food. We took care of the latter topic at the time; so now, we’re turning our attention to the former. This month’s Dystopian Dance Party Podcast is all about the relationship between popular music and Native American culture–an often fraught relationship, as you might imagine, but an endlessly fascinating one nonetheless. Check it out, then check below the jump for a list of the songs played and an accompanying Spotify playlist so you can hear the music without us yapping over it.

00:00:00   “Ten Little Indians” by the Beach Boys (from Surfin’ Safari, 1962)

00:03:01   “Run to the Hills” by Iron Maiden (from The Number of the Beast, 1982)

00:06:00   The Amazing (Albeit Appropriative) Single Cover for “Run to the Hills”

© EMI

00:08:12   “Apache” by the Shadows (1960 single, available on The Shadows’ Greatest Hits)

© Columbia Records

00:09:27   Trailer for Apache (1954) Starring Burt Lancaster… So Much Redface

00:11:32   “Comanche” by Link Wray (from Link Wray & The Wraymen, 1959)

00:15:38   “As Long as the Grass Shall Grow” by Johnny Cash (from Bitter Tears: Ballads of the American Indian, 1964)

© Columbia Records

00:24:53   Jimmy Carl Black Introduces Himself in “Are You Hung Up?” by the Mothers of Invention (from We’re Only in It for the Money, 1968)

00:25:10   “Who Needs the Peace Corps?” by the Mothers of Invention (from We’re Only in It for the Money)

00:27:15   “Lonesome Cowboy Burt” by Frank Zappa and the Mothers featuring Jimmy Carl Black (from 200 Motels, 1971)

00:29:45   “Gypsy Eyes” by the Jimi Hendrix Experience (from Electric Ladyland, 1968)

00:31:28   “Newborn Awakening” by Jim Morrison (recorded 1969, contains elements of “Peace Frog” and “Blue Sunday” by the Doors, from Morrison Hotel, 1970; available on An American Prayer)

00:33:28   “Dawn’s Highway” by Jim Morrison (recorded 1969, available on An American Prayer)

00:35:05   “The Ghost Song” by Jim Morrison (recorded 1970, music by the Doors from An American Prayer, 1978)

00:37:57   Montage featuring Jim’s Imaginary Native Friend from Oliver Stone’s The Doors (1991)

00:38:40   Jim and His Imaginary Native Friend Inspire Waynestock in Wayne’s World 2 (1993)

00:38:49   “Just Like an Aborigine” by the UP! (from Rising, 1970)

00:41:15   Members of the UP! on the 2007 Edition Cover of John Sinclair‘s Guitar Army

© Process Media

00:41:48   John Sinclair’s Ann Arbor Tribal Council, from the Ann Arbor Sun, December 14, 1973; stolen from the Ann Arbor District Library

Statement of the Central Committee of the Rainbow People’s Party (John Sinclair), from the Ann Arbor Sun, April 30, 1971; stolen from the Ann Arbor District Library

“We call ourselves ‘Rainbow People’ because that is what we are, first of all–the culture that defines us is not a ‘white’ culture at all, but a true Rainbow Culture borrowing from any different peoples–our music comes from black culture, our sacraments (marijuana, peyote, mescaline) from brown and red (American Indian) cultures, our philosophy and sciences from yellow (Eastern) culture. And our vision of the future is that of a free and beautiful Rainbow Nation that includes all of the people on the planet.”

00:43:22   Ted Nugent Sports a Headdress on the Cover of Spirit of the Wild, 1995

© Atlantic Records

00:43:39   Montage of Uncle Ted Riding Buffalo

00:43:42   The Nuge’s Historic Loincloth; Photo Taken by Flickr User Elizabeth at the Michigan Historical Museum in Lansing

Photo stolen from Elizabeth’s Flickr

00:44:55   “The Great White Buffalo” by Ted Nugent’s Amboy Dukes (from Tooth Fang & Claw, 1974)

00:45:12   Uncle Ted Shoots a Flaming Arrow at His Guitar

00:51:19   “My Country ‘Tis of Thy People You’re Dying” by Buffy Sainte-Marie (from Little Wheel Spin and Spin, 1966) – Live on Pete Seeger’s Rainbow Quest, 1967

00:58:50   “Chant: 13th Hour” by Redbone (from Potlatch, 1970)

01:02:08   Redbone Perform “Chant” and “Come and Get Your Love” on The Midnight Special–not, in fact, The Old Grey Whistle Test–1974)

01:04:44   “Indian Reservation (The Lament of the Cherokee Reservation Indian)” by the Raiders (from Indian Reservation, 1971) – “Live” on Rollin’ on the River, December 30, 1971; Introduction by Kenny Rogers

01:06:46   “Half-Breed” by Cher (from Half-Breed, 1973) – Promotional Video from The Sonny & Cher Comedy Hour, 1973

01:10:14   “Broken Arrow” by Buffalo Springfield (from Buffalo Springfield Again, 1967)

01:11:10   “Pocahontas” by Neil Young (from Rust Never Sleeps, 1979)

01:12:52   Marlon Brando Sends Sacheen Littlefeather to Refuse His Award at the 1973 Academy Awards in Protest of “the Treatment of American Indians Today by the Film Industry”

01:15:12   For the Spotify Listeners: “Pocahontas” by Gillian Welch and David Rawlings, Live at the Cat’s Cradle, Carrboro, North Carolina, November 10, 2001 (from The Revelator Collection, 2002)

01:15:36   “Cherokee” by Europe (from The Final Countdown, 1986)

01:20:20   “Indian Girl (An Adult Story)” by Slick Rick (from The Great Adventures of Slick Rick, 1988)

01:23:53   “Battle of Little Bighorn” by RedCloud featuring Def Shepard (from Hawthorne’s Most Wanted, 2007)

01:27:18   “Straight Chief’n” by City Natives (from Red City, 2014)

01:28:54   “Apache” by the Incredible Bongo Band (from Bongo Rock, 1973)

01:29:10   “Apache” by the Sugarhill Gang (from 8th Wonder, 1982) – “Live” on (probably) Video Music Box, 1983

01:30:30   Will Smith and Alfonso Ribeiro Throw Down to “Apache” on The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air

And finally, here’s the official Spotify playlist:

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/7eJAnx3GXCRuBmbC5yePY0?si=ADe8tBKiSOCDV_gUuA3R3A

See you next time!