N.A.M.A. began in 1998 as a grass roots initiative by it's founder, Ellen Bello, a music industry veteran publicist and writer who worked with every major record label such as; Sony, Universal, Warner, and industry leaders like; CBGBs,  MTV,  The Olympics, Prince, and other national recording artists. She invited leading music industry professionals, writers, record labels and artists such as Wayne Newton, Robbie Robertson, John Trudell, Nile Rogers, Wes Studi, R. Carlos Nakai, Joanne Shenandoah, Redbone and others to champion a viable music industry for Indigenous musicians.  Artists, various communities, tribal radio stations and media personnel served as NAMA's first Advisory Board membership. As the first of its kind, the Native American Music Awards honors and pays tribute to Native American authored music which can range various genres. Native American music is the original roots music of North America. Originally a traditional music which was an integral part of Native American life and tribal identity, Native American music has grown to encompass many contemporary genres such as; rock, pop, blues, hip hop, country, and new age as well as have created some unique genres that remain distinctly indigenous such as; Waila or Chicken scratch, and Native American church music.  All the music, whether lyrically or by genre, distinctively retains its cultural identity and offers cultural renewal. Without NAMA there would be no recognition of Native American music initiatives on a national and professional level. 

THE NATIONAL NATIVE AMERICAN MUSIC ASSOCIATION
A Non-Profit 501(c)(3)Founded 1998

Over 200 Advisory Board Members

Plus Over 20,000 registered online Members

Native America is a culture and a people deeply stemmed and intertwined in music since the onset of their existence. We have a song for every aspect of life; ceremonials, sports and dance to courting, birth and death. We have survived incredible oppression and challenges. Today, we celebrate our survival through music and dance. With the increasing popularity of today's Native American music, the Native American Music Association is helping Native societies transform as our music provides a continuing capacity for community renewal and cultural enrichment. 

BOARD OF DIRECTORS:

Ellen Bello,  Andy Anderson, Kim Acosta (Ojibwa),  Butch & Billie Artichoker (Lakota), 

Ed Koban (Mohawk), Michael Kickingbear (Mashantucket Pequot)  Carol Johnson (Mohegan).
 

WE ARE STILL HERE  

The Native American Music Association is the world’s leading resource for Native American music. USA Today has urged the national public to “take us seriously” and the New York Times has credited it's founder, Ellen Bello's life's devotion "to bringing indigenous music to the world's consciousness”.

The Native American Music Association (N.A.M.A.) was established in 1998 as a 501(c)(3) surrounding the national debut of the Native American Music Awards in order to celebrate the rich musical heritage of first nation's people while educating the general public on the emergency needs of tribal communities.

Our organization remains committed to preserving and promoting Native American culture through both traditional and contemporary music initiatives. Our organization also responds to  Call to Actions from various Native communities including; MMIW, Youth Suicide Prevention, Water Is Life, Emergency heat efforts for low income families, Annual toy drives for impoverished children, Musical instruments for Veterans with PTSC, Wolf Preservation and music programs to help heal sick children. 


OUR PROGRAMS:
 

MMIW  PERFORMANCE AWARENESS

“Native American Voices”  aired nationally throughout the month of November on Sirius Satellite Radio  commemorating National Native American Heritage Month.

FREE WINNERS Music and CDs Various Artists For Water Is Life

https://nativeamericanmusicawards.com/album/410865/water-is-life-mni-wiconi

YOUTH SUICIDE PREVENTION CAMPAIGN     “STAY STRONG” YELLOW BRACELETS

WOLF PRESERVATION CD

https://nativeamericanmusicawards.com/album/135593/wolf-song-compilation-cd-plus-bonus-tracks

   CHILDREN's MUSIC PROGRAMS  
   

FREE INSTRUMENTS FOR VETERANS WITH PTSD

 

 EMERGENCY HEAT, ELECTRIC, FIREWOOD, PROPANE  “KEEP THE HEAT ON”

ENDANGERED SPECIES ACT SUPPORT

SHARE IN A HISTORY FOREVER

This all-volunteer Association has celebrated and shared in many successes;

• -Successfully proposed a new category for Native American music in the Grammies in 2000 which was recreated as a “Roots” category in 2011 which we serve on the committee for.
• -Trained Native American youth in concert events and productions
• -Established a cultural diversity program to recruit Native American employees at MTV Networks
• -Educated and entertained employees of parent company, Viacom with music programs
• -Commemorated National Native American Heritage Month as proclaimed by the President of the United States each November
• -Returned a lost song of the late Apache leader, Geronimo, back to his family
• -Provided emergency over $15,000 in emergency heat (proprane, electric heat, and/or firewood) in freezing tempatures for in over 150 sub standard homes on the Pine Ridge Reservation
• -Provided toys for children on the Rosebud Reservation at Christmas time
• -Presented special music concerts and performance opportunities from Alaska to New York City and in between.
• -Placed Native artists in collaborations with mainstream artists
• --Received letters of acknowledgement from Presidents and a proclamations from Mayors
• -Maintaining the world's largest national music archive in all formats housed since 1990.

The Native American Music Association was first formed with a hope that one day Native Americans in the United States could receive equal recognition as musicians. Until our organization, the music of Native Americans remained hidden from the mainstream. N.A.M.A. provides the needed inspiration and exposure for those who want to share the gift of music with the world. The Native American Music Association is the largest & only professional membership based organization for the advancement of Native American music initiatives & expressions across the country and around the globe.

Originally traditional music was an integral part of Native American life and tribal identity, such as; round dance songs and flute music.  Native American music has grown to encompass many contemporary genres such as; rock, pop, blues, hip hop, country, and new age as well as have created some unique genres that remain distinctly indigenous such as; Waila or Chicken scratch, and Native American church music.

We have produced the various programs including the Native American Music Awards. Our programs honor our Native song makers, foster pride in our First Nations young people, and provide national and international exposure, celebrating our gifts of musical expression with others around the world. We create additional opportunities for our Award winning artists to serve as important role models for our Native American youth, inspiring them to follow their dreams, to be successful, to lead healthy lives for future generations.

NATIONAL MUSIC ARCHIVE:

Today, we are the World's Leading Resource for Contemporary and Traditional Native American Music Initiatives consisting of over 200 Advisory members and 20,000 registered voting members.  Our Association promotes diversity and celebrates the rich cultural heritage of our nation’s first people on a national and growing global level. Our organization is committed to preserving Native American culture and continuing the traditions of our ancestors through traditional and contemporary music initiatives and programs. Native American Music is strong and alive and we remain the only legitimate and professional organization exclusively committed to preserving and promoting Native American music today. We acquire approximately 150 to 200 recording entries each and every year. We showcase over 30 different Native American music genres each year at our annual Awards ceremony while adding new categories when necessary. The Native American Music Awards celebrates a cultural revival through those that have preserved, adapted and prospered in the fields of traditional and contemporary musical excellence.

NATIONAL MUSIC ARCHIVES BY ARTIST (click on link) 
files/NAMA_ARCHIVES_BY_ARTIST.pdf

NATIONAL MUSIC ARCHIVES BY RECORDING TITLE
files/NAMA_ARCHIVES_BY_RECORDING_TITLE.pdf

 

MORE ABOUT NATIVE AMERICAN MUSIC 

The Native American Music Association, a 501(c)(3) organization preserves and promotes the rich oral history of Native America. Used in all aspects of life, music and song marked every public event and private occasion in American Indian life. Historical information, lineage, stories and tales were passed from generation to generation through song. But traditional Native American music is becoming lost forever. For the true generations that can preserve the stories and the songs, they are the oldest – the elders – who comprise a population that is steadily dwindling. With the loss of elders also comes the loss of language, cultural traditions and an important part of our own history, the oral history of the First Americans. Native Americans also suffer twice the proportions of unemployment, poverty, and alcohol related deaths than the national average. Native youth face immense pressures, challenges and limited opportunities.  For those that overcome the immense obstacles they face, they are empowering themselves and rejuvenating their culture through contemporary music initiatives.

CULTURAL TRADITIONS VS. CULTURAL RENEWAL

With it’s roots firmly planted in traditions hundreds of years old, music and song were, and still are, an integral part of Native American life. Without a written language, care was taken to transmit songs accurately, from generation to generation. As part of this nation’s folklife, the early fieldwork of scholars, anthropologists, and ethnomusicologists proved that traditional music was just as emotional, complex and cultivated as any other modern art form. The drum is considered the heartbeat of all that is. Other natural instruments such as; Rattle, Whistle, Cowhorn, Flute, and Bells, whether given by the “Creator” or made by skilled craftsman, facilitated a symbolism of sound and image and an interaction and relationship to all parts of the living world. As Native American music evolves, artists compensate their lost nature world using European-influenced and electric recreating earth sounds. Like the tradition keepers of ancient times, today’s musicians still can offer their communities the capacity for cultural renewal and tribal enrichment.

The arts are rich and inexhaustible resources which help our young people learn and grow in healthy ways. Music is one of the most important forms of self-expression which can help young people cope with difficult feelings. Through new music initiatives, Native youth are building resiliency, increasing their ability to express their emotions, and learning to manage their feelings in healthy ways. Together the Association & Awards continues to provide the needed hope and assistance for these individuals to become great catalysts for change.

Join us in preserving the history and heritage of Native American for all of America through our arts and education programs.

JOIN NAMA NOW

FOR OUR DONOR BROCHURE - CLICK HERE
AND HERE
 

While there are many concerns to face these days that are specific to government, state, or region, there are certain issues that affect all Native communities throughout the United States. Native peoples suffer from high rates of poverty and unemployment. Throughout history the territorial dispossession of indigenous peoples has gone hand in hand with natural resource exploitation. Native women and children suffer from an epidemic of violence. Many Native Americans live on reservations in substandard housing. Many suffer from high rates of diabetes, obesity, substance abuse. Native languages are struggling to survive. Today, from the Dakota Access Pipeline in the U.S. to the Tar Sands in Canada, Indian nations are standing on the front lines of opposition to hydraulic fracturing and pipelines that are violating treaty rights, threatening the environment and contributing to climate change in the process.

Our organization was originally given its inspiration from the tribal communities in South Dakota. In Lakota,  “Mitákuye Oyás'iŋ” means ”all my relations” or “we are all related.”  This  is an acknowledgement that We Are All Relatives.  Everything in our universe is interconnected.  From people and animals to plants, everything is related.  It is with this understanding that we approach our organization's programs.