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Spilyy Tyrnoo, Warm Springs, Oregon
December 12, 2002
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The Warm Springs family flute trio seen playing flute in their home on the reservation. The flutes, says Foster Kalama, are in a variety of styles from the Native American
nations in North America. FROM LEFT: Simeon Kalama, Foster Kalama, Titus Kalama.
Natiw flute Mo tewsls site
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Germany rolls out the red carpet for Warm Springs tribal members
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iYry W photos by Shannon Keaveny
Last month, the Foster Kalama fam
ily flew to Germany and served as rep
resentatives of the tribes.
In addition to their flutes, they
packed tribal knowledge of their heri-
-rwn n n r si 1 1 t-i 1 A
The experiences accrued by flying lOU-play tfOm yOUr
"Songs are up to
every individual.
There is no style.
Map of Germany
-4v TT(r -ill 4- v
A LL yillg OH LUC
y different ethnic restau
rants, visiting castles, get
ting off the subway on
time, and driving on the autobahn at
110 mph, Foster Kalama did get some
flute playing in during a recent visit to
Germany.
In fact one flute performance at a
church in Landau, a southwestern
German village near the Rhine River,
Foster and his two sons, Titus, 14, and
Simeon, 12, drew nearly 800 people.
"It was pretty amazing," said Kalama,
"we were only expecting about 180
people."
"The Germans have a deep respect
for Native Americans," he noted.
across the Atlantic Ocean and seeing a
new country and culture were bounti
ful. Their German escorts, said
Kalama, treated them with honor and
"rolled out the red carpet" for them
whereever they went.
But the thing that got him the most was the way his
two sons represented his family and the tribes.
"It just took my heart away. I was so proud," said
Kalama of Titus and Simeon's presence and flute per
formances. Kalama and his sons proved to be more of a cul
tural phenomenon than they expected.
At most of their public appearances the local me
dia was milling around in full force.
"There were newspapers, radio and television. It
was hard to get used tp, but anything to set a good
example for the youth. I just wanted to show if I can
do it, anybody could. I'm no one special."
Consequently, Kalama and his sons appeared
throughout the country in newspaper, radio, and tele
vision coverage.
The trip lasted two weeks. The visit was such a
success that next summer Kalama may return for a
flute performance tour.
Christian Carstcnson invited Kalama and his sons
to Germany after a visit to the Warm Springs area.
Carstenson is involved with The Museum of World
Culture in Frankfurt, Germany.
Currently the museum has an exhibit called "In
dian Times: News from Native America," which runs
until August of 2003.
When Kalama and his sons arrived in Frankfurt,
they helped complete the museum's depiction of Or
egon Indians fishing off scaffolds at Shcrar Falls.
As a model the museum used a picture of Shcrar
Falls Carstcnson had taken during his visit.
"When we got there, they had the scaffold built
already. I just helped with the nets," Kalama humbly
explained of his participation.
The Kalama family traveled to many German
towns, but spent most of their time in the quaint vil
lage of Landau.
While in Germany, Kalama was a guest speaker,
flutist, and drummer at two universities, two middle
schools and one high school.
I Ic participated in two roundtable discussions and
shared his vision of cultural diversity settings in the
school. Kalama is a cultural liaison at Madras High
School.
The Germans, lie said, were intrigued with his job
and interested in implementing similar positions in their
schools to address cultural clashes within their school
system. Currently, Germany has more than eight ma
jor ethnic groups.
heart."
Foster Kalama
"I came wanting to play flute
but ended up doing a lot of speak
ing," joked Kalama.
He spoke of the culture and
life of Warm Springs.
"I spoke of our life in two dif
ferent worlds, the education world
and the Native American world."
The Germans, he said, were
particularly interested in our spiri
tuality. Kalama shared with them
that the tribes have always been
peaceful and spiritual.
"This can be seen in the traditions of the longhouses
and our songs," Kalama explained to his audiences.
Kalama said he spoke of the Indian way of life, and
the connection to spirits through drums and flutes. "We
have songs about the ground, air, water, roots and fish.
All the songs give thanks to our Creator," he told his
audiences.
Kalama also had to tame some stereotypes.
The audiences were told that Indians have cell phones,
' computers, and Native American children dress the same
as kids all over the world.
While entering a troubled middle school, the kids
heckled the Kalama trio with the stereotypical Native
American war hoop that they had probably seen in the
movies.
"I told them I came 7,000 miles to speak to them
and I felt disrespected. That I would never do that to
them," he said. Afterwards, the students were quiet and
attentive as Kalama played drums, and sang.
"In the end, I felt I received the deepest respect
from that group," said a pleased Kalama.
Playing from your heart
Foster Kalama taught himself how to play flute.
The first time he held a flute was in a shop class at
Chemawa Indian School, where students were making
the Native American instruments. I Ic was about 17 years
old. Even then, he says, he "felt something."
His generation still suffered the consequences of their
musical instruments being stripped from them because
they were perceived as a threat to missionaries. Although,
they were making flutes in school, not many of his class
mates knew how to play.
Yet, Kalama learned by listening to the older genera
tion. He speaks fondly of visiting Rock Creek, WA, a
Ncz Perec town, and learning drumming and singing.
"The ciders said you had to go out to the mountains
and get your songs," said Kalama of his experience learn
ing flute, drums and singing.
Today Kalama teaches his sons and other students
the tradition of his people. Titus has been playing flute
for 4 years and his younger brother, Simeon, just over
a year.
Together, now back from Europe, on a Sunday morn
ing in their home, Titus and Foster share a ijong. The
sweet sounds of their flutes waft into the air. Songs,
says Kalama of where his flute songs came from, arc
up to every individual. There is no style. You play from
your heart.