I was drawn to Charlie’s paintings of Natives on horseback. It reminds me of stories of Crow men on hunting rides, eating white clay to curb their hunger so as not have to eat for days. I had an uncle who knew Indian sign language very well and it was something I was always interested in. Indians would stop talking around the pioneers and only use sign language and observe. 

 At about that time, Crow Chief Plenty Coup spoke of a vision he had where he saw white people and their cattle, which he referred to as spotted Buffalo, and his advice to the Crow people was to learn as much about them and their culture as possible because he knew they were never going to go away.

The song is based on Crow Indians as they encounter the first contact with settlers and consider these strange new people.  One of the first things they saw was the steamboat on the river. They didn’t necessarily want to harm anyone, but these new pioneers were easy to raid. The take would be horses and funny looking clothing. This song drifts between my imagination of viewing Charlie’s painting Fire Boat and the words and stories from my mother Anita Yellowtail, my Uncle Tom Yellowtail, and stories I’ve heard over the years of Native life on the plains before contact with settlers. 

Associated Paintings: 
The Fire Boat 
Watching For Wagons 

Musicians: 
Cary Morin - author, composer, guitars, piano, vocals

Innocent Allies

Fire Boat

FIRE BOAT

Along with many folks, I mourn the recent losses of Alton Sterling and Philando Castile. The horror, the sadness, the lingering questions... I also mourn those whose stories have yet to surface globally, whose tragic stories were not captured on video, and those whose losses still reverberate from the recent and distant past. 

Because of these troubling situations, I wrote a song a little while back.  The song is a reflection on the family of Michael Brown in Ferguson, MO, as well as the many other families -- in this generation and past ones -- who've had children die at the hands of law enforcement.  

This song also asks people to "open our eyes" to see what each of us already can do with what we already have to be part of the solutions. (I made ‘solutions’ plural because just as I think the problems are several, I think the solutions are too.)

Lyrics
How would you feel 
if they killed a man
you held in your heart 
'cause he held in his hands
part of your dreams 
while someone said to you, 
"This is justified"?

Maybe your confusion 
ferments into anger
'cause you don't believe, no no,
this is justified.

How many children have to die?
How many children have to die
to open our eyes?

How many families
out in the country,
down in the cities,
up on the reservations
have to hear these words: 
"This is justified"?

How many children have to die? 
How many children have to die
to open our eyes?

Not Only Ferguson

In a time of social isolation, uncertainty, and division, Cary Morin’s newly re-recorded track, “Trust,” offers comfort and hope. Its slow, steady sway and warm, intimate vocals remind us to have faith in the present moment—and each other. 
“Trust” is grounded in a moment of awakening during a September commute in Fort Collins, Colorado, Morin’s home of over 35 years. Lifting his eyes to the sun setting behind Horsetooth Rock, his thoughts become quiet and sacred truths reveal themselves. The foothills, evening breeze, and watercolor sunset inspire him to look inward. He realizes that victory is found in living an awakened life, in alignment with a greater purpose and in connection with all of humanity. He sings, “Trust in one another, sisters and brothers, / says the moon, our eldest mother, in the sky tonight.”
The song has a relaxed quality that lulls the listener and highlights Morin’s deeply affecting vocals. When Celeste Di Iorio’s voice joins his, the harmonies are sweet and exhilarating; it’s as if the sacred itself were entering the song. Poignantly, the duo sings, “Yet in my reckoning, I want to be the best at what I do / and learn about humanity at every opportunity.” 
“Trust” is an homage to a landscape and an anthem for our times. It reminds us that everything is alive, everyone is connected, and, despite the chaos of the outside world, a sense of refuge and purpose are always available if we stop, look, and listen.

Trust

Internationally acclaimed as a mesmerizing live performer, Cary Morin’s soul-stirring voice and jaw-dropping fingerstyle guitar playing have captivated audiences for decades.  

Dial into Morin’s career catalog and discover a musical chameleon whose sonic landscapes fuse together the best of American roots music. “Cary is a unique and brilliant player, songwriter and singer. I have huge respect for his style and technique,” says legendary multi-instrumentalist and songwriter David Bromberg. “If you haven’t heard him yet, you should.”  

Morin’s latest project, Innocent Allies, honors his family’s Native American heritage and is inspired by the genius of famous western artist, Charles Marion Russell. “This record is a masterpiece worthy of its place among the great works of art it was created to honor,” says Trina Shoemaker, the Grammy-winning producer who mixed and mastered the album at her Alabama studio. 

Morin’s music has reached millions as he’s traveled the world with prestigious performances at the Kennedy Center, Lincoln Center, Paris Jazz Festival, and Folk Alliance International in addition to others. Morin has been featured on international television and radio programs hosted by the BBC and NPR. He has had the honor of sharing stages as a collaborator or supporting act for musical luminaries such as Taj Mahal, Los Lobos, Jackson Browne, Bonnie Raitt, Joan Osborne, David Bromberg, and Arlo Guthrie, to name a few.

Morin’s musical talents and creative contributions have garnered a multitude of awards and accolades: two-time winner of the Indigenous Music Award for Best Blues CD (2019 and 2017); Independent Music Award for Best Blues CD (2018); Native Arts and Cultures Fellowship (2018); and First Peoples Fund Artist in Business Leadership fellowship (2017). He received an honorable mention in the 2018 International Songwriting Competition.

Morin has also achieved international recognition as a collaborator, dancer and musical theater composer. His song, “Ole Midlife Crisis,” written and performed with the Pura Fé Trio, reached #17 on France’s iTunes blues charts in 2011.  With the Red Willow Dancers, he performed in Japan as a special guest of the world-renowned Kodo Drummers. Back home in Northern Colorado, he co-authored the play, “Turtle Island,” a critically-acclaimed 50-cast-member production that sold out for two consecutive years.  Morin’s musical journey began in the late 1970s and burgeoned in the late 1990s when he founded The Atoll, a rock-reggae-blues band that toured the United States for over 13 years.  

Born in Billings, Montana, he hails from a rich cultural heritage as a Crow tribal member with Assiniboine Sioux and Black ancestry. He spent the formative years of his youth in Great Falls, Montana picking through guitar standards at neighborhood gatherings.
Morin currently maintains a busy performance schedule as a solo artist, as a duo with his partner Celeste, and with his band Cary Morin & Ghost Dog, a high-energy roots rock band. He also collaborates with renowned Indigenous artist, Pura Fé. When not captivating audiences across the US and Europe, he finds solace and inspiration in Northern Colorado, which he proudly calls home.

FIRE BOAT

Cary Morin

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