ICTMD Pre-Conference Symposium, Online, 27–28 September

This short pre-conference symposium was held fully online on 27-28 September 2024 as advance sessions to the upcoming 48th ICTMD World Conference in Wellington, New Zealand. Engaging with the conference theme of Indigenous Music and Dance, the pre-conference symposium focused on Healing, Health, and Wellbeing: Indigenous Perspectives on Music and Dance. The symposium featured presentations by music and dance practitioners from Unama’ki (First Nations Canada), Taiwan, South Africa, Australia, and Aotearoa New Zealand. The symposium was organized by the 2025 Programme Committee Co-Chairs, Marcia Ostashewski and Kirsty Gillespie, and the Chair of the Local Arrangements Committee, Brian Diettrich. The Centre for Sound Communities (Cape Breton University) hosted the symposium for ICTMD on Zoom. 

On the last day of the symposium, members of the ICTMD Executive Board Committee for Prizes announced the winners of the 2024 ICTMD Prizes.

(Chinese translation)

ICTMD 會前專題討論會（2024年9月）：「療癒、健康與福祉：對音樂與舞蹈的原住民觀點」
線上舉行，9月27–28日（大西洋夏令時間）

作為即將於紐西蘭威靈頓舉行的第48屆ICTMD國際研討會的預備會議，本次會前專題討論會於2024年9月27–28日（大西洋夏令時間）透過線上舉行。配合原住民樂舞這項研討會主題，會前專題討論會聚焦在「療癒、健康與福祉：對音樂與舞蹈的原住民觀點」。來自加拿大Unama’ki（第一民族）、台灣、南非、澳大利亞與紐西蘭Aotearoa的音樂與舞蹈從業者都在會中進行發表。專題討論會由2025年學術委員會共同主席Marcia Ostashewski和Kirsty Gillespie，以及紐西蘭籌劃委員會主席Brian Diettrich所主辦。會議由卡普頓大學（Cape Breton University）的聲音社區中心（Centre for Sound Communities ）為ICTMD在Zoom線上舉辦。2024年ICTMD獎項得主也在專題討論會最後一天由ICTMD獎項委員會的成員公佈。

Abstracts

1. Kepmite'tmnej ta'n teli L'nuwulti'kw: Let us greatly respect being L'nu

Presenters share ways in which L’nu or Mi’kmaw music, dance, arts and language-based creative practices support healing, health and wellbeing. Graham Marshall and Austin Christmas of the Sons of Membertou traditional drum group, dancer Maisyn Sock, and Mi’kmaw language scholar StarrPaul, are joined by Mi’kmaw music and education student Liem Joe, to share songs, stories and dances. They discuss how these cultural practices are intertwined with Mi’kmaw values, and ways of knowing and being in the world. These include respect for Elders; the vitality of youth; how people, traditions and creative practices connect in/from place to place and through generations; how creative practices support language (re)vitalization, sustainability, and language-related rights, resilience, regeneration, and the reclamation (of lands, and cultural practices); and how creative practices support pathways to heal ongoing impacts of colonialism.

2. Follow Me into the Woods, into the Stories, and into the Origin

Tulbus Mangququ is a Bunun singer, a national music prize winner, an Indigenous cultural worker, and a community builder for his tribe, Kunuan, in Hualien, Taiwan. In his presentation, he will share and sing about the life stories of himself, his family, his tribe, and the Bunun people as a whole.

When discussing the music of the Bunun people, their chordal-like polyphonic singing stands out for its unique content and style among Taiwan´s Indigenous groups, renowned for its beautiful harmonies. This rich musical expressiveness has captivated music scholars both domestically and internationally, drawing significant global attention. For instance, Japanese scholar Kurosawa Takatomo presented the Bunun’s pasibutbut at The International Folk Music Council (IFMC) in 1952, attracting the interest of distinguished scholars such as André Schaeffner, Curt Sachs, and Jaap Kunst.

However, for the Bunun people, the significance of their singing lies not only in its sonic beauty but also in its various social functions and healing powers, both physical and psychological. (Songs related to the physical healing of Shamanism, regulated by taboo, will be excluded from this academic presentation.) In the social or communal sense, the Bunun people discover themselves and connect with others through communal singing, experiencing a sense of “togetherness.” Furthermore, when singing together harmoniously, this practice itself serves a healing function called “Pakadaidaz” in the Bunun language, meaning repair or rebuilding, particularly in terms of relationships between humans and between humans and the universe.

For instance, the drinking song “pisusling,” popular in the Bunun community across the island, is not merely a song for accompanying drinking, toasting, and celebrating, but also serves as an act of comfort. When a family faces sadness or misfortune, people will visit their home, share “Davus” (drinking millet wine), and sing “pisusling” together. In this way, without the need for words, the singing transmits comfort and love among the people. Additionally, when singing “pisusling,” the act of passing a wine glass, known as “musasais,” signifies acceptance and recognition by the community. The elders say that the process of “musasais” is an important part of becoming a human being (Bunun).

In sum, through “singing together,” the Bunun people attain a state of harmony with the universe, with others, and with themselves, which is the most profound ontology in Bunun culture.

3. Healing, Health and Wellbeing: Indigenous Perspectives on Music and Dance from Southern Africa 

This presentation explores the therapeutic dimensions of traditional healing ceremonies through three case studies, each highlighting distinct African cultural practices where music plays a central role in healing and spiritual communication.

In Zimbabwe, among the Zezuru people, the mbira dzaVadzimu is integral to spirit possession and healing ceremonies. During these rituals, spirit mediums (masvikiro) are guided into possession by ancestral spirits (Vadzimu) through the performance of ancient mbira pieces like Nyamaropa, Nhemamusasa, Taireva, and Mahororo. These melodies, enhanced by the polyrhythmic sounds of leg rattles (hosho), clappers (makwa), and traditional drums (ngoma), create an auditory environment conducive to spiritual manifestation. The combination of music, traditional objects, and ritualistic dance invites the ancestors to engage with the living, enabling dialogues that address both social and health-related issues, ultimately facilitating healing.

In Botswana, the phekolo ritual in Shoshong highlights the power of healing songs (dipinatsa sedimo) within Tswana spiritual practices. The phekolo, a purification ceremony led by an ancestral healer (ngaka ya badimo), involves singing and dancing in a sacred space calledsebata. These songs are believed to originate from the spirit realm, received by healers through dreams and visions. The dipina tsa sedimo serve as both diagnostic and therapeutic tools, allowing healers to connect with ancestral spirits and address the ailments of the afflicted. The ritual strengthens the bond between the living and their ancestors, promoting both physical and spiritual healing.

Lastly, the presentation examines Isangoma music and dance among the Zulu in South Africa. Isangoma refers to traditional healers who use music as a central element in their holistic healing practices. The rhythmic beats, melodic chants, and symbolic instruments used in Isangoma ceremonies create a multisensory experience that transcends the physical and resonates deeply with the spiritual. This genre of music facilitates the restoration of balance and well-being, reflecting the Zulu belief in the interconnectedness of the body, mind, and spirit.

Together, these case studies from Southern Africa underscore the role of music in African healing traditions, illustrating how these practices continue to sustain the health and spiritual well-being of communities across the continent.

4. Healing, Health and Wellbeing: Australian Indigenous (Mawng) Perspectives on Music and Dance

TBC

5. Oro Atua Rongoā Puoro Māori: Reviving the Ancestral Practice of Utilising our Musical Instruments as Healing Tools in Modern Times

TBC