Sometimes You Just Need a Tribal Song to Cleanse the Soul
This beautiful Salish song and video will leave you in awe, and downright make you feel better inside, worked for me, anyway. The song, "Be The Change," is by The Pete Sisters of the Flathead Reservation and is being shared around Montana as a way to offer young people hope during the pandemic.
The sisters Sisi Pete, Siliye Pete, and Susseli Pete offer the following explanation. "This song is incredibly special to us because of the flute songs history, and because of the purpose behind it. The times we are in are challenging and scary, we understand that it is easy to fall victim to the pressure and politics, there are so many distractions around us. We hope this song gives you clarity, hope and empowerment. we must stick together during the COVID-19 pandemic, we must be serious and thoughtful, most importantly we must wash our and wear a mask! Lemlmtš"
The family premiered the video on July 24th, highlighting the flute song and the sister's singing in traditional Salish as shots of every day folks of the reservation are shown wearing masks, along with some gorgeous scenery footage of the Flathead. It's just 3 minutes and 45 seconds long but incredibly touching, uplifting, and worth the time to listen and watch.
According to Charkoosta News, The Pete Sisters have a deep family history within the Bitterroot Salish tribe. Read more about who these talented girls are and how the song came to be, here.