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Nahko and Medicine for the People
Nahko and Medicine for the People in 2017
Background information
OriginUnited States
GenresWorldbeat, world music
Years active2008–present
LabelsMedicine Tribe Records, Side One Dummy Records
Members
  • Nahko Bear
  • Justin Chittams
  • Joe Hall
  • Patricio Zuñiga Labarca
  • Max Ribner
  • Tim Snider
  • TJ Schaper
Past members
  • Don Corey
  • Hope Medford
  • Chase Makai
Websitenahko.com

Nahko and Medicine for the People is an American world music group headed by the eponymous Nahko Bear. As of 2024, they have released five studio albums.

Background

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Nahko Bear was born in Portland, Oregon. Nahko is short for Nahkohe-ese, "little bear" in the Cheyenne language.[1] He self-identifies as being of Apache, Chamorro, Mohawk, Puerto Rican, and Filipino descent.[2] According to Indianz.com, he has not specified which Apache or Mohawk tribes he descends from.[3] Adopted by a white middle-class Christian family, he learned of his heritage after reconnecting with his biological mother as an adult. His birth was the result of rape, and his biological father had been murdered.[4] He learned to play the piano at the age of six and the guitar at fourteen.[5] He began his musical career by busking[6] and formed the band in 2008. Nahko and Medicine for the People play a fusion of styles often called world music, or worldbeat. The group's lyrics present a message of social and environmental consciousness.[7][8][9]

Tours and festivals

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Nahko and Medicine for the People have toured with Nattali Rize, Rebelution, Michael Franti, Trevor Hall, Dispatch, Xavier Rudd, and SOJA.[10] The band largely appears at alternative music festivals,[10][11] including the Greenbelt Festival,[12] the ARISE Music Festival,[13] and Tour de Fat.[13]

Solo work

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In 2017, Bear released a solo album titled My Name Is Bear, under the name Nahko.[14]

Controversy

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On July 8, 2020, following accusations from multiple individuals of sexually inappropriate behavior, Bear resigned from the board of Honor the Earth. In their statement, "Regarding Nahko", the board stated that they have "a zero-tolerance policy for sexual harassment and inappropriate sexual behavior".[15]

After the initial surge of public interest, Bear responded to the accusations made against him. On August 10, 2020, he shared a statement on the band's Facebook page, in which he expressed regret to the women he had harmed through his inappropriate actions and disputed allegations against him as false.[16]

Band members

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Current

  • Nahko Bear – vocals[2]
  • Justin Chittams – drums[12]
  • Joe Hall – lead guitar[17]
  • Patricio Zuñiga Labarca – bass guitar[18]
  • Max Ribner – trumpet[18]
  • Tim Snider – electric violin[18]
  • TJ Schaper – trombone[11]

Past[18]

  • Hope Medford – hand percussion and rhythm[19]
  • Don Corey – bass (recorded on Dark as Night)
  • Chase Makai – lead guitar

Discography

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Nahko and Medicine for the People

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Studio albums

  • Dark As Night (2013)
  • On the Verge (2014)
  • HOKA (2016)
  • Take Your Power Back (2020)
  • Trenches (2023)

Singles

Title Year Peak chart positions Album
US
AAA
[20]
"Wash It Away" 2014 — Non-album single
"Lifeguard" 2019 36 Take Your Power Back
"Slow Down" —
"Garden" 2020 —
"Honor the Earth" —
"—" denotes single did not chart or was not released in that territory

Nahko

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  • My Name Is Bear (2017)

References

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  1. ^ "Uncovering Forgiveness". HM Magazine. Retrieved August 5, 2024.
  2. ^ a b "An In-Depth Conversation with the Indigenous Musician You Need to Know: Nahko Bear". Indian Country Today. Retrieved July 31, 2024.
  3. ^ "'Deliberate disregard': Honor the Earth liable in sexual harassment case". Indianz.com. Retrieved July 4, 2024.
  4. ^ "Nahko Bear: 'In forgiving my father's killer, I freed myself'". Ham&High. Retrieved July 31, 2024.
  5. ^ "Nahko and Medicine for the People: Alternative World Music as a Social Movement". July 2, 2020. Retrieved December 20, 2023.
  6. ^ "Nahko and Medicine for the People ft. Kota the Friend – "OK"". www.wonderlandmagazine.com. Retrieved December 20, 2023.
  7. ^ "Nahko and Medicine for the People". HM Magazine. Retrieved December 19, 2023.
  8. ^ "Nahko and Medicine for the People | "Take Your Power Back"". Grateful Web. Retrieved December 19, 2023.
  9. ^ "Nahko: Power to the People". Relix Media. July 19, 2018. Retrieved December 19, 2023.
  10. ^ a b D'Angleo, Chris (February 20, 2015). "Nahko: Medicinal music". TheGardenIsland.com. The Garden Island. Archived from the original on February 23, 2015. Retrieved March 19, 2015.
  11. ^ a b Hucka, TJ. "Nahko and Medicine for the People". LifeIsBeautiful.com. Archived from the original on March 25, 2015. Retrieved March 19, 2015.
  12. ^ a b "Greeenbelt Festival 2016 Lineup". Greeenbelt Festival. Archived from the original on August 24, 2017. Retrieved August 16, 2017.
  13. ^ a b "New Belgium announces Tour de Fat schedule". Coloradoan. Retrieved May 2, 2018.
  14. ^ "Singer-Songwriter Nahko Discusses How Politics & Meeting His Birth Mother Influenced Solo Album 'My Name Is Bear'". billboard.com. October 17, 2017. Retrieved March 29, 2020.
  15. ^ "Honor the Earth Board Statement Regarding Nahko". honorearth.org. July 8, 2020. Retrieved December 19, 2023.
  16. ^ "Aloha Medicine Tribe, Mahalo for coming by to read and listen to what I have to say. If you're here, it means on some level you are invested in what has..." Facebook. Retrieved December 19, 2023.
  17. ^ Hall, Joe (October 2015). "Joe Hall: Engineer / Producer / Guitars". Sound Better. Retrieved August 14, 2024.
  18. ^ a b c d Patak, Agnes (October 20, 2016). "Nahko and Medicine for the People – HOKA". Mateel. Retrieved August 14, 2024.
  19. ^ Rom, Meredith (December 6, 2019). "091 | Sacred Birth, Rhythm & Raising Women's Voices with Hope Medford". Meredith Rom. Retrieved August 14, 2024.
  20. ^ "Nahko and Medicine for the People Triple A Songs Chart History". Billboard. Retrieved July 20, 2020.

Further reading

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Reviews
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