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The turn of the 20th century saw an unfortunate period of attempts to assimilate most Native American peoples into mainstream America. The Indians were faced with incredibly harsh assimilation rules and there was further relocation as treaties and reservations were illegally modified. Simple survival as a people and as individuals became forefront in the activities of Native Americans, especially during the 1930s and 1940s. As a result, many cultural aspects were forbidden or prohibited and their practice went "underground." Beginning in the late 1940s, as assimilation rules began to disappear, the flute tradition was among the cultural aspects that began to resurface. Native flute players increased and gained some prominence. Belo Cozad (Kiowa), Dan Red Buffalo (Lakota), Dick Foolbull (Lakota), George Watchetaker (Comanche), Abel Big Bow (Kiowa), Woodrow Haney (Seminole), and Doc Tate Nevaquaya (Comanche), among others, reacquainted both natives and non-natives alike with the native flute. Non-natives, such as Dr. Richard Payne, Thurlow Lieurance and Vernon McNeal also played a significant role the revitalization of the flute tradition. The 1970s marked the beginning of the period when flute makers shifted from primarily making flutes for their own use to primarily making flutes in quantity for use by others. Many began deriving, at least partially, their livelihood from their work. The renaissance of the native flute was still in its infancy and only a relatively few makers emerged during the 1970s. Some learned their craft from relatives in previous generations. Hawk Littlejohn (who actually began making flutes in the 1950s), and Tim Spotted Wolf learned from their Grandfathers, while Sonny Nevaquaya learned from his father, Doc Tate. Others met Dr. Payne and discovered his wealth of knowledge, including Dr. Oliver Jones and Michael Graham Allen. Many turned to historic flutes for their inspiration including Raven Charles King and Arnold Richardson. And there were a number that taught themselves, including Carl Running Deer, Zacciah Blackburn and Lew Paxton Price. The early 1980s added a few more makers including Lakota George Estes and Ken Light. The 1980s saw the emergence of two influences that had a dramatic impact on flute making. The first was R. Carlos Nakai, who has become perhaps the most prominent player in modern times. He not only influenced countless people to take up the instrument as players, but also quite a number of people to make them. His impact became most apparent in the early 1990s. The second was the release of a dozen books by Lew Paxton Price, covering every facet of constructing native flutes. They have become the foremost reference on the subject and many contemporary makers consider his books an important influence in their work. This period also saw the introduction of numerous innovations in the crafting of native flutes. Power tools began to supplement hand tools to in some cases improve precision work and reduce crafting time. Makers began using more than cedars, cane and bamboo. Flutes were made in a wide variety of softwoods and hardwoods as well as domestic and foreign exotic woods. Plastic and metal tubes also found their way into flute making. A significant modification to emerge at this time was the carving of the flue into the block directly, thus creating a style that needed no nest/roost. This has become a standard feature on what is now referred to as the "Plains" flute, or what should perhaps be called the "Contemporary Plains" flute. Other innovations included the use of Western music tunings, such as pentatonic minor, diatonic and chromatic major. This led to the introduction of over two octaves of keys that flutes were tuned to. Multiple tone chamber flutes (usually referred to as drones or dual-chambered) began appearing as well as double bass designs (those of Michael Allen) that required additional mouthpiece fixtures. As the 20th century drew to a close, flute makers offering their flutes to the public numbered over one hundred. There is indeed a receptive market. Professional and amateur players now number in the upper hundreds, flute circles have sprung up nation-wide and internationally, web-clubs and list servers abound on the internet, and hospitals and other service centers are recognizing the benefits of flute music. Flute making, as well as flute playing, has crossed all cultural bounds and has ensured the flute tradition will survive well into the 21 century. Zadjik Productions. “Modern Times History.” Native American Flutes. 27 Aug. 2009 [http://www.zadjik.com/flutes/].
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