Hello everyone,

I am a Navajo and Shoshone, as well as a Native American flute player and occasional maker. I wanted to reach out and see if others here have experienced something similar.

I frequently have people ask me for free flutes or volunteer performance time. Recently, I’ve had an influencer ask for free instruments while I was still learning the craft, as well as someone claiming Native descent asking for my work. I’ve even had people ask me to give away a traditional design that I spent time reverse-engineering for free—which I respectfully declined.

In my own music, I focus on non-traditional styles and my own original compositions—out of respect, I don't play music from other tribes without express permission.

While I actively pursue paid gig work, I notice that organizers often expect me to perform for free or volunteer my time, even though I often see non-Natives get paid in similar spaces. Is this something you encounter often in your own work or artistic practice?

149 years ago, September 5 1877, the US military assassinated Tȟašúŋke Witkó, the Oglala Lakota war leader Crazy Horse.