Patterns in the Sky, part 1
The first track on handmade is “Patterns in the Sky.” This track was recorded January 25, 2007; the title comes from my love of astronomy, and ties in to a later song (”In Search of Forgotten Names”, track 10).
I look up into the starry sky and I see constellations. Most of these are not real star clusters–the stars in the belt of Orion, for instance, are hundreds of lightyears apart, and only a visual coincidence makes them seem as if they line up in a group.
Orion is well known in all cultures, one of the most recognizable constellations. However, for me, it has special significance–it is a reminder of the lost past.
My father is a full blooded Creek indian. The tribal language, Mvskoke, was almost wiped out by government boarding schools; the children were taken away from the families, and forbidden to speak or learn the language. My grandmother was caught speaking Creek and tied to a radiator overnight for punishment; my father was caught and forced to drink castor oil.
In this way, a lot of the culture was lost: when the kids came back, they could not speak to the elders, who held the traditions and wisdom of the tribe. The only sources for much of the language used to be dictionaries written by missionaries. These missionaries didn’t care about tradition, just conversion.
Therefore, when I look up into the sky, I might see the moon (hvrēssē, you’d pronounce it “huh-thlees-see” in English). I might see the stars (kolaswv, “ko-las-wa”), or even the Big Dipper (Sakcvokv, “sak-chow-ga”). At the right time of the year, I might see the Pleiades (Kolas-Coklofkv, “ko-las-jook-lof-ka”).
But there the story ends. No name survives for Orion in Creek, nor for the planets, nor for any of the rest of the constellations. I know these names existed–but against the tide of years, how can I find them?
This is what I think when I see patterns in the sky. The song is about my love for astronomy, but there is an undertone of sadness.
Tomorrow’s article will be about the chords and composition of this song.
