![]() ![]() The fight for racial justice did not begin with George Floyd’s murder, and it will not end once headlines change. Faculty who work in the area of racial justice recommend this list of resources to better comprehend the complexity of our current moment. One of the key purposes of education is to shine light in the dark. We stand in solidarity with our students, employees, and communities who are voicing their anguish, anger, and deep frustrations with systems that oppress and devalue Black lives. As an institution of higher learning, we are unequivocal that Black lives matter and that the work of justice requires that we continue to confront white supremacy and all of its intersecting forms of oppression. Wagner said he hopes to get radio airplay for some of their work as well and is planning to submit the album to the Native Grammys.Northland College was founded on principles of equality and inclusion. The band is set to play the Zeitgeist Arts Center stage. Homegrown is one of the largest independent music festivals in the Upper Midwest. They are also working on a music video for a song called, “Ikwe” about missing and murdered indigenous women.Īnd all of the work so far will pay off when they play for their largest audience yet on the opening night of Duluth Homegrown on April 28. They have brought on more local musicians to begin development of a second album planned for next winter. The Ghost Dance album is just the beginning for the two. Wagner said he had just recently picked up a guitar after hearing his dad play. The duo originally met in eighth grade when they bonded over the music of Faith No More and Black Sabbath. While this is Wagner and Parson’s first venture into producing music, the two have been jamming together for years. They should feel proud of their heritage and where they come from. “I want them to feel part of something even if they aren’t Native. “I want people to diversify their thoughts and their tastes,” he said. While the music is unapologetically Native in tone and content, Wagner said he wants the music to be a source of pride for not just his own people, but everyone who listens. “The album should have art that coincides. “Art and music go hand and hand,” Wagner said. The physical CD also contains a dream catcher and parts of a war bonnet headdress, the namesake of the band. The album cover features original artwork commissioned by Rabbit Strickland depicting the spiritual figure, Nanaboozhoo. The imagery of Native American history and culture isn’t just represented in the music of the album, but in its art as well. “They try to sound like R&B or folk or rap. Not everything has to be in the box to get noticed.” Wagner added that too many Native artists try to recreate established musical norms and genres. “I want other artists to be the same - to be true to their vision and think outside the box. ![]() It is meant to be its own genre,” Wagner said. The sound is constructed layer over layer with overlapping vocals to create unique tracks. The sounds of the album incorporate everything from driving Native drum beats to the sound of jingle dresses, tied together with riffs from Wagner’s electric guitar. “We just wanted to open up who we are with this album and make something positive out of something that happened to us.” “There was a lot of blood shed from the founding of America,” Wagner said. With song titles such as Great White Sea, about the colonization of North America, or Manifest Destiny in Reverse ,about reclaiming native ways and land, the album speaks openly of the effects colonization had on tribes across the continent. The music of the album is an artistic rendering of history that Wagner and Parson hope will build bridges between communities and give a new voice to dark events of the past. The dance was meant to summon a person’s ancestors to shield them and help them in battle and came to prominence during clashes between Natives and European colonizers as the United States expanded westward. “They had a vision to do this dance that nothing will harm you in life and war,” Wagner said. The album title is a reference to the Ghost Dance popularized in the late 1800s by Wovoka, the spiritual leader of the Northern Paiute of Nevada, California and Oregon. It is a spiritual headdress that high chiefs wore into combat.” “I put it off for years, finally I said we have to start this band, this Native American band. “I’ve had dreams of having a band like this,” Wagner said. The duo has entered the northern Minnesota music scene with their debut album, The Ghost Dance, and are bringing songs of history and culture from the streets of Nett Lake to the downtown theaters of Duluth. NETT LAKE - Chaz Wagner and Tony Parson are making a statement with their new band, War Bonnet. ![]()
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