Joseph FireCrow preserves the ancient culture of the Great Plains with the sounds of his flute.

FireCrow starts the concert with a simple but powerful phrase, “Everyone on this planet is one.”

The Cheyenne flautist performed to about 200 people in the Sun Room of the Memorial Union on Thursday night to spread his message.

“We’ve forgotten our relatives,” FireCrow said. “We’ve forgotten our culture and we’ve forgotten our communities.”

FireCrow uses a variety of instruments to perform his art and get his ideas across to the audience. Some of these instruments include multiple flutes, a drum, a rattle and his voice. 

The culture of Great Plains natives is heavily influenced by music and dance. These concepts resonate with humanity as a whole.

“The flutes, the voice, the rattles, the drums are universal to all people,” FireCrow said. “The stories that come with each people’s flutes will be similar sometimes, but other times vastly different. Even the design and the raw material that go into making a flute can be very different.”

FireCrow seemed to always have a love for music. He played the trumpet in elementary school, middle school, high school and even college.

“I’m grateful for having that [time spent playing the trumpet] is that it has given me the ability to read and write music,” FireCrow said. “To know music structure and how it works in most genres. By the time of university level, you’re well on your way to becoming classically trained. You’re still auditioning for things and still trying to maintain your place.” 

Leaving his job at a power plant in Montana, FireCrow abandoned his old life in the pursuit of music in 1993. Since then, he has released six albums. His fourth album, “Cheyenne Nation,” won a Grammy in 2001.

“The significance of music is that it is timeless,” FireCrow said. “It has been around for centuries and this is the first people’s music. It covers all age groups, from little children all the way to the elders. That makes me feel really good when I look out into the audience and I see everyone present.”

FireCrow said he is honest with his music, and he does not intend to hurt with his music.

“When you leave here, you feel good about yourself and your loved ones,” he said. “That’s what it is all about.”

The crowd took FireCrow’s words to heart, which is a testimony to the years that he has been preaching his message.

“Music is essential to all human nations and cultures,” said Sinan Nisanci, junior in horticulture. “It’s the oldest way of performing either spiritual or cultural identity.”

Others agreed about the concert, and said they enjoyed his event.

“The concert was excellent,” said Linda Lendabeerg, an Ames resident. “Culturally, it’s something that we can all take something from because each song tells a story.”

When his time was up, FireCrow smiled at the crowd. A blanket was presented to him, an honorary tradition of the Cheyenne people.

“Wherever you go carry a good clean heart, and good things will come to you,” FireCrow said.