Thursday, November 21, 2024

Music as medicine: Flutist’s music is his prayer of gratitude

Music as medicine: Flutist’s music is his prayer of gratitude

FLAGSTAFF

When he was a child growing up in Gray Mountain, Arizona, Jonah Littlesunday’s grandmother Bessie Singer used to listen to cassette tapes of world-renowned flutist R. Carlos Nakai while she did her weaving.

“I loved it,” said Littlesunday. “I used to try to whistle his songs.” At 10 years old, Littlesunday would go to the nearby trading post where they allowed him to play with the flutes in the store. By the time he was 14, he had saved up enough money to buy his own. His grandfather Calvin Singer, a hataalii, encouraged him.

“My cheii was adamant about me understanding music and how prayer can be flowed through everything,” said Littlesunday. “He wanted me to pray and play together, and use the concept of Native American flute healing.


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About The Author

Rima Krisst

Reporter and photojournalist Rima Krisst reported for the Navajo Times from July 2018 to October 2022. She covered Arts and Culture and Government Affairs beats.Before joining the editorial team at the Times, Krisst worked in various capacities in the areas of communications, public relations, marketing and Indian Affairs policy on behalf of the Tribes, Nations and Pueblos of New Mexico. Among her posts, she served as Director of PR and Communications for the New Mexico Indian Affairs Department under Governor Bill Richardson, Healthcare Outreach and Education Manager for the Eight Northern Pueblos, Tribal Tourism Liaison for the City of Santa Fe, and Marketing Projects Coordinator for Santa Fe Indian Market. As a writer and photographer, she has also worked independently as a contractor on many special projects, and her work has been published in magazines. Krisst earned her B.S. in Business Administration/Finance from the University of Connecticut.

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