The Call of Standing Eagle

The Mohicans, or Mahicans when pronounced more authentically, were the Muh-he-con-ne-ok: the People of the waters that are never still. This name refers to their homeland along the Hudson River. Contrary to the belief spread by James Fenimore Cooper’s novel "The Last of the Mohicans," the Mohicans did not disappear. They withstood the adversities of colonization and forced relocation; by the 18th century, many settled in Stockbridge, Massachusetts. Later, most were relocated again to Wisconsin, where today the Stockbridge-Munsee Community continues to honor their traditions and legacy.

During a residency at the Kripalu Center in Lenox, near Stockbridge, I had the privilege of meeting Standing Eagle (Shawn Stevens), who kindly agreed to share his voice for this project so dear to me. It is always a joy when I can bring authentic recordings to myNoise, opening our ears to the richness of cultures and traditions from around the world. What Shawn offers us here is a wonderful gift.

At first it may surprise you: there are no words in Shawn's song, only sounds such as aa, ii, oo, hee, yo, weh. These vocables are common in Native American music. They let the voice carry rhythm and emotion without binding it to the constraints of a language. A leader calls, the group responds, and the song becomes something that can be shared across clans and even across tribes.

While staying in Lenox, I recorded the natural soundscapes around — the river, the wind in the forest, the birds — and wove them around Shawn's voice. The intention of this song is simple but powerful: to remind us that we are one family, all children of the same Mother... Earth. We are honoring the land of the ancestors here. Elders say that when the world becomes sick, our duty is to learn again how to live in balance with all living things, and reconnect with Nature. This song is a song about reconnection and healing too.

The Mohicans did not “arrive” in the Hudson Valley a few centuries ago—they have been there for thousands of years! As part of the Algonquian peoples of the Northeast, their ancestors likely moved into the region after the last Ice Age, becoming deeply rooted along the upper Hudson River. Their songs remind us that these lands already had voices before anyone else called them home.

This song was graciously shared by Standing Eagle (Shawn Stevens), Stockbridge–Munsee Mohican. The field recordings were captured by me in Lenox, Massachusetts. With gratitude to the Kripalu Center for Yoga and Health for hosting the recording session.

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