{"id":18839,"date":"2021-12-06T12:30:26","date_gmt":"2021-12-06T17:30:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.indianz.com\/News\/?p=18839"},"modified":"2021-12-06T12:38:26","modified_gmt":"2021-12-06T17:38:26","slug":"joanne-shenandoah-tekaliwakwa-1957-2021","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/2021\/12\/06\/joanne-shenandoah-tekaliwakwa-1957-2021\/","title":{"rendered":"Joanne Shenandoah-Tekaliwakwa, 1957-2021"},"content":{"rendered":" \"Joanne<\/a>
Joanne Shenandoah at the Heart and Mind Festival in New York City, New York, in 2018. Courtesy photo by Jane Feldman<\/figcaption>\r\n
Joanne Shenandoah-Tekaliwakwa, 1957-2021<\/div>\r\n
Legendary Oneida Singer, Songwriter and Peace Humanitarian<\/div>\r\n
Monday, December 6, 2021<\/div>\r\n
Indianz.Com<\/div>\r\n

<\/p>\r\nObituary provided by family.<\/em>\r\n

<\/p>\r\nShe had a bright voice like liquid gold, a luminous heart and a magnetic smile. \r\n

<\/p>\r\nJoanne Shenandoah-Tekaliwakwah, one of the most renowned Indigenous musicians on the Native American music scene, nurtured the spirit, inspired joy and shared her love of laughter and her people with audiences around the world. \r\n

<\/p>\r\nShe passed into the spirit world on November 22, 2021, at the Mayo Clinic in Scottsdale, Arizona, at the age of 64. \r\n

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Multi-talented Singer, Composer, Instrumentalist, Author and Actress<\/div>\r\n\r\nJoanne was known as a matriarch of Indigenous music. Given the Oneida Wolf Clan name \u201cTekaliwakwha\u201d meaning \u201cShe Sings\u201d, she fully lived into her name. She was publicly acknowledged as the most prolific and creative Indigenous songwriter and performer of her era. She was a cross-cultural artist who released 24 award winning albums and inspired many artists in the burgeoning Indigenous music industry. Teaching Haudenosanee culture was paramount to Joanne, and her people\u2019s principles of peace were woven throughout her songs, performances and humanitarian efforts. \r\n

<\/p>\r\nJoanne was a visionary trailblazer who has left an impactful global legacy. \r\n

<\/p>\r\nHer original musical compositions blended ancestral Haudenosaunee melodies and songs with contemporary lyrics and instrumentation. Her innovative recordings ranged from Indigenous to world, folk, pop, new age and country — she was in a genre that could truly be called her own. Joanne was adept at picking up any instrument she was interested in. She played the guitar, piano, flute and cello. \r\n

<\/p>\r\nIn 2005 Shenandoah was awarded a GRAMMY for the album Sacred Ground: A Tribute to Mother Earth<\/em><\/a>. Among her more than 40 awards, she received two additional GRAMMY nominations, an unprecedented 14 Native American Music Awards (NAMMYS), multiple Syracuse Area Music Awards (SAMMYS). Globally, she received multitudes of accolades for her stunning creativity, beautiful vocals and teachings.\r\n

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\n\t\t\n\t\t\tJoanne Shenandoah, Grammy Winner House Concert Lifting the Spirit During COVID-19 4\/11\/2020\t\t<\/a>\n\t<\/div>\n\t
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Please share this inspirational video with your friends and family. Music is medicine and helps to heal the body, mind and spirit. “We Will Rise Up” through…<\/p>\n\t\t<\/a>\n\t<\/div>\n\t

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Joanne Shenandoah: Lifting the Spirit During COVID-19<\/a>\r\n<\/figcaption>\r\n

<\/P>\r\nJoanne\u2019s remarkable talent as a singer took her around the world with performances in Australia, South Korea, South Africa, Turkey, and across North America and Europe. She sang before audiences at prestigious concert halls and festivals in performances that included opening the first Woodstock revival in 1994 accompanied by a large Haudenosaunee contingency who joined her with song and dance; performing for Earth Day on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., before 400,000 people; singing for the Dalai Lama; at Madison Garden for Seeger\u2019s 90th birthday celebration with Bruce Springsteen, Kris Kristofferson and Dave Matthews; at the Vatican for the canonization of the first Native American saint, Kateri Tekakwitha; at the Grand Ole Opry, Sagrada Familia Barcelona, and the Parliament of the World\u2019s Religions (South Africa, Spain, Australia, Canada.) \r\n

<\/p>\r\nMusicality flows through the Shenandoah family. Joanne was often joined on stage by her daughter Leah and sister Diane Schenandoah singing in an exquisite three part harmony. Both are featured in many of Shenandoah\u2019s recordings. \r\n

<\/p>\r\n\u201cJoanne said her lyrics came to her as gifts from the ancestors,\u201d said her sister Diane. “The first time Jo, Leah and I sang together, our voices blended so beautifully it made us cry, it felt sacred.\u201d \r\n

<\/p>\r\nJoanne starred as a headliner at Foxwoods Casino on many occasions where she opened for musical legends such as Smokey Robinson, Randy Travis and Willie Nelson. She also sang a musical rendition of \u201cDawn Treader\u201d at Carnegie Hall in 2006 for a musical tribute to Joni Mitchell. Joanne traveled extensively and ensured she performed for her own Indigenous relatives in hundreds of Native American communities. Joanne shared the stage with musical stars such as Odetta, John Denver, David Amram, and Indigenous greats such as Rita Coolidge, Redbone, Robbie Robertson, Floyd Westerman, Ulali, and R. Carlos Nakai.\r\n

<\/p>\r\nIn 1989 Joanne released her first album titled \u201cJoanne Shenandoah.<\/a>\u201d She recorded a top-hit electronica song in Germany called \u201cNature Dance<\/a>\u201d with producer Arian Beheshti in 1991. She later composed the symphony \u201cSkywoman, A Symphonic Odyssey of Iroquois Legends<\/a>\u201d with German guitarist and composer, Gerhard Rebmann, and that was produced by Tom Wasinger. Joanne performed Skywoman with Leah and Diane, with the Syracuse orchestra Symphoria at the Civic Center in Syracuse, New York, and with the New Mexico Symphony Orchestra that was featured on PBS. She also co-authored the book \u201cSkywoman: Legends of the Iroquois<\/a>\u201d with her husband Doug George-Kanentiio. \r\n

<\/p>\r\nBeing embraced by Native American musical legends gave her a boost at the start of her career. Her second album Loving Ways<\/em><\/a> was recorded with the late Apache musician, A. Paul Ortega in 1995. Joanne was fond of saying that he told her to never decline a request to sing and to always share her musical gift that the Creator gave her, and that Cherokee musician Loretta Lynn told her to stay after her concerts until the last fan has left.\r\n

<\/p>\r\nSome of her songs also foretold prophecy and broken promises. She co-wrote \u201cTreaty<\/a>\u201d with her good friend and musical great Neil Young that is featured on her album Eagle Cries<\/em><\/a> that urges U.S. Presidents to honor their word. She inspired people to care for the planet in \u201cThey Didn\u2019t Listen<\/a>\u201d and Mother Earth Speaks<\/em><\/a>. In her recording of \u201cProphecy Song<\/a>\u201d she blends spoken English with Anishinaabe language singing, calling us to awaken; saying that \u201cWe are now reminded to be aware of our place upon his earth. And to fulfill our obligations to ourselves, our families, nations, the natural world and to the Creator,\u201d adding \u201cThe words say, \u2018We are to awaken, stand up, be counted, for you are being recognized in the spirit world.\u2019\u201d \r\n

<\/p>\r\nJoanne\u2019s music was meditative, healing and uplifted the spirit. Her lyrics helped comfort those suffering from grief, healing from physical ailments<\/a> and is often used in the delivery of babies, surgeries and played for those transitioning to the spirit realm. \r\n

<\/p>\r\nBeyond music albums, she composed music for a number of film and television shows, including \u201cIndian in the Cupboard\u201d, \u201cTransamerica\u201d; the Indigenous film \u201cDance Me Outside\u201d; the Silver Telly award winning film \u201cWarrior in Two Worlds\u201d and 2019 Emmy nominated PBS Series \u201cNative America.\u201d<\/a> She acted alongside Ron Perlman, James Le Gros and Connie Britton in the film \u201cThe Last Winter\u201d directed by Larry Fessenden. Her film credits can be found on IMDB<\/a>. \r\n

<\/p>\r\nFor her life\u2019s work she was bestowed an Honorary Doctorate of Music from Syracuse University in 2002 and in 2007, she received both a Lifetime Achievement Award from the National Native American Music Awards and entered the Hall of Fame at the Syracuse Area Music Awards. \r\n

<\/p>\r\nYou can find Joanne\u2019s music on Spotify<\/a>, YouTube<\/a> and secured at Apple Music<\/a>, Amazon<\/a> and via her website: joanneshenandoah.com<\/a>. \r\n

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