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Song Catchers and Song Keepers Competition |
 Project: Song Catchers and Song Keepers Competition
Organization: Center Pole
Year: 2007
Tribe: Crow
Reservation: Crow Agency
Location: Garryowen, MT
The Center Pole is an organization that provides yearlong activities and support for youth growing up on the nearby Crow Agency. In the spring of 2007, the Center Pole held Song Catchers and Song Keepers competitions to help traditional language and songs come alive for Crow children.
According to Crow tradition, a “song keeper” is someone who knows traditional songs and safeguards them for future generations.
A “song catcher” is someone that “catches” new songs by making them up using the Crow language and traditional instruments.
The competition brought together Crow community members of all ages, where young “Song Keepers” sang traditional songs and young “Song Catchers” preformed new original compositions, judged by tribal elders.
The competition was held in memory of the respected Crow Song Keeper Clayton Mountain Pocket, who passed on in the winter of 2006. Clayton was a member of the Piegan Clan and a great resource of traditional knowledge for the Crow people. Clayton’s talents were so impressive that he preformed at the inaugurations of four US presidents.
When Clayton Mountain Pocket died, many beautiful traditional Crow songs were lost. Running Strong was proud to support the Center Pole in its efforts to both celebrate Clayton’s life and create a new generation of Song Catchers and Song Keepers on the Crow Reservation.
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