Miss North Carolina, Johna Edmonds, Proudly Showcases Her Native American Heritage.

With a high of 90 degrees, the smell of hot dogs, hamburgers and funnel cakes filling the air, and being welcomed home and congratulated by the Lumbee Tribe of North Carolina, this weekend was truly spectacular! I am so proud to come from such a rich and diverse history that has been integral to the shaping of the woman that I am today. I sincerely enjoyed celebrating my culture and being a part of Lumbee homecoming. Congratulations to our newest ambassadors, Kennedy, Mahlea, Genna, Alexis. Each of you will have a fun-filled year that you'll remember for a lifetime. Thank you to all of the wonderful people who have always supported and believed in me. I couldn't have been happier to be back home... in my beautiful little corner of this great state! 

~Johna Edmonds (Lumbee), Miss North Carolina.

Artist Spotlight: Dark Water Rising (with MUSIC VIDEO)

Being a semi-finalist on Idol is a huge accomplishment, but where does an artist go from there? For many, post-Idol fame hasn't been much of a reality. So how does an artist bounce back after all the fame and attention? For some, like the gifted Charly Lowry, you must continue to have faith in your abilities, be willing to start from scratch, and grind your way back to the top. Being a successful artist/band in this business is no easy task—not only do you need to be talented musically, but you also need the motivation and mindset.

Today, Charly Lowry is the lead singer in the band, Dark Water Rising—a band she helped form back in 2008. The band has certainly come a long way from their humble beginnings. "Humble" in this sense isn't an understatement. The other members in the band basically picked up and learned how to play their chosen instruments as soon as the idea of forming a band became a reality. And just a few short years later, they all now play multiple instruments and have become even more confident in their abilities as musicians. There is always more room to improve as a band. It's what motivates you to become better as an artist.

The band's name, Dark Water Rising  originates from the home of its members, tapping into their Lumbee identity. The dark waters of the swamps are teeming with sounds of nature and original, beautiful music—music deftly captured in the sounds of this award-winning, Native American group hailing from Robeson County, in Southeastern North Carolina. The group—comprised of Charly Lowry (lead singer/rhythm guitar), Aaron Locklear (keys/guitar/bass), Corey Locklear (lead guitar), Shay Jones (drums), and Tony Murnahan (bass)—continues to grow and amaze audiences each time they perform. They are constantly developing their sound, song writing, and instrumentation. This is a band that possesses the talent, motivation, and mindsets to be major players in an industry over-saturated with wanna-be performers.

Lyrically, Dark Water Rising explores all themes of life, whether it is love, heartbreak, sacrifice, celebration, despair, or pain; all the while expressing their sentiment on issues affecting Native American communities. Dark Water Rising coined the genre of their music as "Rocky Soul,” which is about as original as the songs that they masterfully create.

DWR's most recent album, Grace & Grit: Chapter I, is just as engaging and intimate as watching one of their live performances. Dark Water Rising has garnered considerable radio airplay on college radio and stations throughout Indian country, appeared on both NPR's "The Story with Dick Gordon" and "The State of Things," and has earned a Native American Music Award for "Debut Duo or Group of the Year" in 2010. In 2011 they gained two nominations in the Aboriginal Peoples Choice Music Award,  Single of the Year for their song, Hooked, and Best Folk/Acoustic CD for their eponymously-titled debut album, Dark Water Rising.

They are currently nominated for an Aboriginal Peoples Choice Music Award, once again.  Grace & Grit: Chapter I is one of five up for the Award for Best Rock CD.  Don't forget to vote for them before July 26th—it takes less than a minute, and you can do so by visiting http://aboriginalpeopleschoice.com/sign-up/.

In the meantime, enjoy an awesome video of My Fun, one of the tracks featured on Grace & Grit: Chapter I.

Artist Spotlight: Jana Mashonee (Lumbee/Tuscarora)

Jana Mashonee is a singer, songwriter, actress, author and philanthropist. She is Lumbee and Tuscarora, originally from Robeson County, North Carolina, currently residing in New York City. She is currently releasing her music through Miss Molly Records available on iTunes and Amazon.

First signed to Curb Records, her single, Ooh, Baby, Baby was picked as Billboard’s single of the week and went on to become a radio and sales success. More than Life followed, selling over a million copies on its own and as part of numerous compilation albums. A controversial version of Led Zeppelin’s epic Stairway to Heaven, came next, earning her the honor of being the first Native American to top the Billboard dance charts.

Exploring her cultural roots, Jana then released American Indian Story, a concept album that garnered her a second Grammy nomination. The video for the single, The Enlightened Time, won awards at film festivals around the world as well as a Nammy for Best Short Form Music Video. Music from the album is featured on the Discovery Channel’s series, Flying Wild Alaska.

Her first book, American Indian Story–The Adventures of Sha’kona, based on the Grammy nominated album of the same was also recently completed. The fantasy filled mystery-adventure young adult novel is the uplifting story of the young heroine, Sha’kona, and her journey of self-discovery and courage.

Jana continued to pay tribute to her heritage with American Indian Christmas, featuring ten classic Christmas songs sung in ten different Native American languages accompanied by a full orchestra and traditional Native American instruments. A critical and commercial success, the album won her another Nammy award. On December 16, 2011 she featured some of these songs in an emotional and intimate performance at Carnegie Hall in New York.

New Moon Born took Jana in a new direction, steeped in R&B and gospel roots, which brought her back to mainstream attention. She debuted the featured track, an emotional cover of Sam Cooke’s classic, A Change Is Gonna Come, at the American Indian Inaugural Ball for President Obama. This was her second performance for a First Family. A year earlier she sang at the First Lady’s Luncheon for Laura Bush. The song went on to win her an eighth Nammy for Song of the Year and the video took the Best Music Video prizes at the Indie Film Festival and at the American Indian Film Festival.

Jana's tour schedule has brought her to forty nine of the fifty states as well as overseas. Her Jana’s Kids Foundation has been helping Native youth through its programs and scholarship offerings for almost as long as she has been an artist. In recognition of her efforts, Jana was named 2011 Woman of the Year by "yearofthewoman2011.com" for her philanthropic work. Her philanthropic work extends also to supporting charities such as The Golden Hat Foundation for autism, founded by Kate Winslet. Jana performed with Sarah McLachlan, Lorenna McKennitt among other stars to support this charity cause at Carnegie Hall in December 2012.

Jana is also an actress. In March 2013, Jana stars in Raptor Ranch, which will debut at the Israel Film Festival.


You can discover more about Jana Mashonee by visiting her website www.JanaMashonee.com

Welcome to Native Pulse... "The Heartbeat of Native American Entertainment"

As a child, I was lucky enough to grow up in a household and family full of musicians and music lovers alike. It was wonderful. Music and the Arts were second nature to me, and it wasn't until I got older that I realized not all families were like mine. As I progressed in my music education, I was fortunate enough to attend the Interlochen Arts Academy, where everyone around me loved and understood the Arts as much as I did and nurtured my talents to the next level.

As a Native American (Lumbee Tribe of North Carolina) I love listening and watching all forms of art and artists that represent my culture. Rather it be traditional dances and songs or a Native American comedy show, I love it all and am very proud to be Native American.

Unfortunately, I've noticed there are not many outlets for all of these incredibly talented Natives to be showcased, especially in the media. Every time there is an opportunity to showcase our talents, the appropriations of our culture and people (usually by non-natives playing natives) are bountiful, and it makes my heart drop. Stereotypes and misrepresentations run rampant—and at the cost of all the amazingly talented Native Americans that go unnoticed.

It is my intention, with this website, to help break those barriers and stereotypes and showcase how truly talented us Native Americans really are! Our People are strong. Our Culture is strong. Our Native American Pulse beats strong, and we are still here!


Hope you enjoy!

~Jeremiah