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If you enjoy the music and want to listen to more; we've created a cd of seven of our favorite songs that's now available in our webstore.

About Us

Fred "Yellowknife" Keams

Yah'ta'hee or Hello! I am a 37 years old, full blooded Native American (Navajo) born into the Red Running into the Water Clan (Tachiinii) and Edge Water Clan (Tabaaha) from Ft. Defiance, AZ. My family consists of my parents, Irving & Rufina Cleveland, and my two brothers and two sisters. I was an employee for the Indian Health Services as a Materials Handler for 7years. Now, as my day job, I work for the Kentucky State Laboratory in Frankfort as a Laboratory Supply Tech. What drew me to Kentucky, originally, was Competitive Archery; I had been shooting competition style Archery for 8yrs. I practiced and worked hard to be the first Navajo Pro Archer, and I did it. I now shoot for Alpine Archery. I became a positive role model for the kids & other local archers. I’m also now the assistance archery coach for Anderson County High School in Lawrenceburg, KY. It’s been 3 years since I relocated to Lawrenceburg, Kentucky and with the change I began to feel a connection with my heritage.To be able to practice an ancient way of life is a blessing from the teaching of my elders. I see the Native American Flute as a way to bring back awareness for the Native Americans to others. As a child I attended Government Boarding School where everything about our native way of life was taken away from us; our language, culture, and traditional ways. I lost part of my heritage growing up and even now we are losing our language & traditions, unable to pass them on to the youth of our people. I say this because I am a survivor of Alcoholism and Native Gangs. I have many stories about my life, and how hard it is to live and survive on the Navajo Reservation as a young adult just trying to get by and yet I don’t have any stories of the teachings of our ancestors. As I’ve gotten older I started to attend many Native American ceremonies and that’s where I started to find myself and my Navajo tradition way of life. What pushes me more to do this is that people don't understand what life is like on the Indian reservation, also known as the REZ. There are a lot of people out there that claim Native American blood but have no clue of the traditions or even the history that’s tied in with that blood. They romance the past instead of learning the truth. The first time I heard the Native Flute, it was being played by my brother Eugene from Flagstaff, AZ, this was back in 2005, I didn’t know what key or what it looked like, just that this unbelievable vibrating wave was hitting the deepest essence of my being. I decided to take the year off of competitive archery to rest my shoulder and that’s when I picked up the Flute. From then on my love & ambition for the Native flute began. One day I decided to make one, it started out with a cardboard paper roll, then on to PVC pipes, then a round stick, now I make Native Flutes. With this journey I have been blessed with a wonderful mentor by the name of Roger McGee from Wind Dancers Flute out of Enterprise, OR. He has taught me the every aspect of Native Flutes, without him I would still be at first base. I went thought many trials and errors but now I understand how it works. My flute playing has come naturally from what my heart & soul feels and everything else just flows together in harmony. There are no sacred songs with the native flute or in my Navajo traditions. One thing I can’t understand is why the price of the Native American flute sells so high that even my own Dine people can’t afford it. Because of this I’ve decided to sell my A, G, and F# flutes for $150. After all, it’s not about the money; it’s about helping others, as it has helped me to find who I am. I feel truly blessed to be able to count on Roger Mcgee and my friends and family that have encouraged me to chase my dream, simply because life is too short not to. I am also a member of the International Native American Flute Association! To read why this is so important, check out the About INAFA tab.

Our Flutes

I make each flute one at a time by hand, out of Kentucky red cedar. I tune each flute by burning the holes with a hot iron rod. Each flute is tuned twice. If it doesn't feel right it doesn't get made.

About the Flute

The Importance of INAFA

Native American Flutes or Native American Style Flutes or Native American Inspired Flutes?Next to the drum, the most important Native American instrument was the flute. Ironically, because Native American flute construction was significantly different than the construction of African, Asian or European flutes, it is now next to impossible to find a flute that was carved by an actual American Indian person. The reason for this is "Native American flute" is now the accurate musical term for a wooden duct flute with a block whistle mechanism, so any such flutes, even if they were made in Korea, can technically be sold as Native American flutes-- just like Spanish guitars that were made in Cleveland Ohio are still called "Spanish guitars." You have to look for the "made in Spain" label to find a guitar that is authentically from Spain, and you have to find an unambiguous statement that a flute carver is a Native American artist to find a flute that is authentically Native American. (The INAFA seal on the seller's website is an effective guarantee that you're buying a Native American flute from Native America, rather than a flute in the same style from someplace else.) Unfortunately, truly Native American flute carvers are few and far between. Most flutes in this style are made by white or Asian people. Unlike other artists, they are not legally barred from marketing their work as "Native American flute carving" even though they are non-native, so they have effectively taken over the market. Flute carving is a very good example of exactly why the Indian Arts and Crafts Act is so important--if not for this law, all Native American arts and crafts would be going this route, and you wouldn't be able to find authentic Indian art anywhere off-reservation. http://www.chiefseattle.com/causes/laws.htmThe Indian Arts and Crafts Act of 1990 The Indian Arts and Crafts Act of 1990 (P.L. 101-644) is a truth-in-advertising law that prohibits misrepresentation in marketing of Indian arts and crafts products within the United States. It is illegal to offer or display for sale, or sell any art or craft product in a manner that falsely suggests it is Indian produced, an Indian product, or the product of a particular Indian or Indian Tribe or Indian arts and crafts organization, resident within the United States. For a first time violation of the Act, an individual can face civil or criminal penalties up to a $250,000 fine or a 5-year prison term, or both. If a business violates the Act, it can face civil penalties or can be prosecuted and fined up to $1,000,000.Under the Act, an Indian is defined as a member of any federally or State recognized Indian Tribe, or an individual certified as an Indian artisan by an Indian Tribe.The law covers all Indian and Indian-style traditional and contemporary arts and crafts produced after 1935. The Act broadly applies to the marketing of arts and crafts by any person in the United States. Some traditional items frequently copied by non-Indians include Indian-style jewelry, pottery, baskets, carved stone fetishes, woven rugs, kachina dolls, and clothing.All products must be marketed truthfully regarding the Indian heritage and tribal affiliation of the producers, so as not to mislead the consumer. It is illegal to market an art or craft item using the name of a tribe if a member, or certified Indian artisan, of that tribe did not actually create the art or craft item.For example, products sold using a sign claiming "Indian Jewelry" would be a violation of the Indian Arts and Crafts Act if the jewelry was produced by someone other than a member, or certified Indian artisan, of an Indian tribe. Products advertised as "Hopi Jewelry" would be in violation of the Act if they were produced by someone who is not a member, or certified Indian artisan, of the Hopi tribe.If you purchase an art or craft product represented to you as Indian-made, and you learn that it is not, first contact the dealer to request a refund. If the dealer does not respond to your request, you can also contact your local Better Business Bureau, Chamber of Commerce, and the local District Attorney's office, as you would with any consumer fraud complaint. Second, contact the Indian Arts and Crafts Board with your written complaint regarding violations of the Act.Before buying Indian arts or crafts at powwows, annual fairs, juried competitions, and other events, check the event requirements on the authenticity of products being offered for sale. Many events list the requirements in newspaper advertisements, promotional flyers, and printed programs. If the event organizers make no statements on compliance with the Act or on the authenticity of Indian arts and crafts offered by participating vendors, you should obtain written certification from the individual vendors that their Indian arts or craftwork were produced by tribal members or by certified Indian artisans.http://www.chiefseattle.com/causes/laws.htm
fredkeams

Flute Legend 09142010191

The First Flute

The Native American flute has been reported to be the third oldest known musical instrument in the world. Native Flutes have been used for different dances and spirit calling ceremonies, powerful prayer ceremonies, courting and love songs. There are many stories as to the true origin of the native flute. This story was told by a Lakota Elder, Mr. Phil Lane (Phillip Brown Bear) just months before he passed on to the spirit world:Legend of the first flute A very long time ago there was a young man who was very interested in a beautiful young girl. He was always trying to get her attention, but she never seemed to notice him. Whenever she was present he would ride his horse proudly, but nothing he did seemed to attract her. One day when the girls were down by the river getting water, the young man went down to the river and began diving off rocks and swimming across the river, to show her how skilled he was, but again she paid him no mind. Dejected, the young man walked into the nearby old growth forest and sat down at the base of a long dead cedar tree. As he sat there thinking about this girl, a woodpecker landed on a hollowed limb that was over his head, the limb had been hollowed over time from the wind and weather. The woodpecker began to peck holes....tap, tap, tap......... along the length of this hollowed limb........ tap. tap, tap.......as the woodpecker pecked, the limb broke off and fell next to the young man, and as the wind blew over this hollow limb with the holes in it, he heard musical voices coming from it. He picked it up and found that when he blew into this limb and covered the holes, he could make beautiful, mournful music to match the feelings in his heart. He sat there for a time making up haunting melodies. The young girl heard this music coming from the old growth forest, and it was such a soulful sound that it captured her heart. She followed the sound of music into the woods, where she saw him sitting there at the base of this cedar tree playing this first flute that was given to him by the Woodpecker, and as she listened she fell in love with his music and fell in love with him. They went off hand in hand to live happily ever after. One of the more popular uses for the Native Flute was for courting, to attract a mate. The legend also says that once you got a mate, you were to put the flute away and never play it again, because if you played it again, you might attract someone else.

Navajo Cedar Flutes

Navajo Cedar Flutes

Take home the magic with our cd or your very own flute....

"Signature Flute"

This is a hand carved beautifully made native amarican cedar flute in the A key. It's the perfect flute for beginners with its smaller size and lighter sound! Price includes FREE SHIPPING!

$150

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Feel free to contact us with questions or comments and we'll endeavor to reply as quickly as possible! Or give us a call at 502-600-0024.

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A big Thank You with links to:

I would like to thank my mentor and friend the renowned Artist and Master Flute Maker Roger Mcgee, of Wind Dancer Flutes, for helping me into this wonderful world of music by sharing his valuable time, experience and knowledge.

http://www.wind-dancer-flutes.com/

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One of my flutes

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Atwoodlake,OH

Me at the Native Dawn Flute Gathering 10/15/2010

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navajo drone

John Sarantos

ABOUT US

Fred

Keams

A song to Soothe the Soul

Yellowknife Navajo Native American Flutes

One song can take your soul on a jouney that can fill a lifetime... If you're in need of custom, hand made, Native American flutes, you've come to the right place.

07 - Track 7.mp3

06 - Track 6.mp3

03 - Track 3.mp3

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