Indian Time - A Voice from the Eastern Door

The fifteenth Native American Music Awards (the NAMMYS) once again honoured the best in aboriginal music while showcasing the wide diversity and depth of talent among the nation's indigenous performing artists.

And once again this historic event was bypassed by the mainstream media to the loss of the North American public who would have been entertained and enlightened as to the many dimensions of Native music whose artists are the equal to any other professional musician who picks up a microphone, strums a guitar, or works in a studio.

From the extraordinary rock ballads of Jim Boyd to the powerful tenor of Lawrence Harris, the comedy of puppeteer Buddy Big Mountain, and the emotional vocals of Jamie Coon; the artists featured on NAMMY creator Ellen Bello's list were without exception in command of the stage as the audience at the Seneca Allegany Casino was shown just how good Native artists can be.

MC Janice M. Johnson from the pop group A Taste of Honey began the three hour show with a rousing introduction and brought it to an end showing her exceptional bass guitar skills. She was followed by the presentations of awards ranging from Lifetime Achievement to Jim Boyd of the Colville Nation, to the four Iroquois artists who demonstrated that once again the Native people of the northeast have show they are among the best.

Jimmy Wolf-Mohawk was given the "Best Male Artist" award with Akwesasne's Theresa Bear Fox taking home the coveted "Songwriter of the Year" trophy.

And the Oneida Nation was honoured when Joanne Shenandoah scored her unparalleled 14th NAMMY with her "Best World" album "Nature Dance". Ms. Shenandoah was joined by another Oneida winner when her daughter Leah was presented with her first NAMMY as "Best Debut Artist" for "Spektra" from which she performed the main ballad on stage.

The group "Indigenous" showed why it won a NAMMY for Best Blues Album by blasting a set, which had the audience dancing in the aisles.

For the artists the awards represent a unique opportunity to perform on a national stage. It has proven a challenge for any Native artist to command a national following. One logical venue would be the 200 plus Native casinos across the US yet a casual review of the largest gambling-entertainment centers fail to show any Native act in the past month. From Connecticut to Washington State, California to Florida, and Minnesota to central New York State, their entertainment calendars are missing Native talent.

When asked why Natives are excluded from their stages the entertainment directors always say the Natives don't have drawing power, which simply means those booking agents fail to see Native talent and refuse to promote aboriginal performers which in turn means the acts are bypassed for others and are therefore obscured.

One simple solution proposed by many fans of Native music is to have a national touring group featuring key NAMMY winners supplemented by regional acts. Target music centers in large cities such as Nashville, Los Angeles or New York to attract major record labels and the media will watch as artists show just how great they can be.

The NAMMY winners this year are:

NATIVE AMERICAN MUSIC AWARDS 15TH ANNUAL WINNERS

Artist of the Year

Mato Nanji

Vanishing Americans

Best Blues Recording

Vanishing Americans

Indigenous

Best Compilation Recording

Don't Let Me Forget

Kelly Montijo Fink

Best Country Recording

Woman Of Red

Tracy Bone

Debut Artist of the Year

Leah Shenandoah

Spektra

Debut Group of the Year

Sihasin

Never Surrender

Best Female Artist

Rita Coolidge

A Rita Coolidge Christmas

Best Folk Recording

Keeper of the Dreams

Red Feather Woman

Flutist of the Year

Rona Yellowrobe

The Gathering

Best Inspirational Recording

Grace & Grit: Chapter I

Dark Water Rising

Group of the Year

Plenty Wolf Singers

Medicine Wolf

Best Historical/Linguistic Recording

Heart of the Buffalo

Richard Stepp & Rick McKee

Best Instrumental Recording

The Long Journey Home

Ryan Little Eagle Molina

Best Male Artist

Jimmy Wolf

A Tribute To Little Johnny Taylor

Best Native American Church Recording

Apache Peyote Songs

Joe Tohonnie Jr.

Best New Age Recording

Bridge

Rushingwind & Mucklow

Best Pop Recording

Day After Day

Jamie Coon

Best Pow Wow Recording

Stoic

Tha Tribe

Best Producer

Kevin Chief

Honoring The Mazinikijik Singers

Best Rap Hip Hop Recording

One Tribe One Nation

The Council

Record of the Year

Romanze Songs of Tosti

Lawrence Harris

Best Rock Recording

Two Sons

The Ollivanders

Song of the Year

Witchi Tai-To – Water Spirits

Shadowyze, Caren Knight Pepper and Jim Pepper

Songwriter of the Year

Theresa "Bear" Fox

Diamond

Best Spoken Word Recording

Grandfather Speaks

Ken Quiet Hawk

Best Traditional Recording

Spirit of Thunderheart

Rising

Best Music Video

Sisters ft Northern Voice

A Tribe Called Red

Best Waila Recording

In Loving Memory of Our Beloved Father & Uncle

Family Pride

Best World Music Recording

Nature Dance

Joanne Shenandoah

Native Heart

Lex Nichols

The Long Road

Lifetime Achievement

Jim Boyd

Rising Star

Gareth Laffely