Native American band Broken Walls will perform at a suicide prevention program, “Carry the Cure” to Mescalero middle and high school students at the Mescalero Apache School auditorium at 9:30 a.m. Friday.
The band also will perform a free cultural concert at 6 p.m.Saturday at the Mescalero Apache School auditorium, 249 White Mountain Drive. The concert is open to the public.
“It will be an exciting celebration of culture, creativity and honoring Creator featuring Native music and dance,” event organizer Shirley Estes said. “Everyone is welcome.”
The group often begins its shows playing the Mohawk water drum and will perform on a variety of Indigenous instruments such as the Mohawk windflute or the large buffalo hide pow wow drum and graduate to a full on contemporary sound that sound weaves with ancient vocals, beats and sounds of their native heritage.
Based on Native American/ First Nations Heritage of North America, Broken Walls band travels around the world communicating a message of restoration, dignity, self respect and the Creator’s love to all cultures. Their message is communicated through music, songs, dance and storytelling with a desire to see people of all nations walk in their gifts and destinies.
Broken Walls was conceived in 1995 by Jonathan Maracle, (a Mohawk from Wendinaga Territory in Ontario, Canada) while attending a conference called the Sacred Assembly in Ottawa/Hull. Maracle listened as different First Nations speakers spoke of the walls that have been built between visitors to this land and the First Nations people. He saw the need for the walls to be broken and wrote the song “Broken Walls” on the spot and performed it on the drum at the Gathering.
The group consists of of Bill Pagaran (Tlingit) from Palmer, Alaska on the drums; Eddie Ramirez, Spokane, Washington on bass; and Jonathan Maracle (Mohawk) lead vocalist and guitarist.
The band will be accompanied by a dancers Lora and Casey Church performing in full dress.
“They are well known Native American dancers and we are honored to have them be a part of this great weekend,” Estes said.
The free events are made possible due to the donations of individuals and corporate sponsors. To learn more, go to whispering-wind.org or mail a donation to Whispering-Wind.org, P.O. Box 45, Alto, New Mexico 88312.
