Research Guides: Indigenous Music & Dance: Theses

How to Use a Thesis

Theses often provide unique research findings, analyses, and comprehensive bibliographies, in addition to modeling particular types of methodology. Check the bibliographies and footnotes of theses and dissertations to gather resources for your own work. Below we have some featured theses that relate to Indigenous music & dance.

Because theses are longer documents than academic articles & other documents, you can search within some theses if they are downloaded as a PDF with specific keywords depending on your research topic.

From UBC's Open Thesis Repository, cIRcle, you can find theses done on Indigenous music and through the School of Music on Indigenous music topics.

Need help with learning how to use theses more in your academic writings? Email us with your questions! xwi7xwa.library@ubc.ca

Cain, M. C. (2003). Songbirds: Representation, Meaning, and Indigenous Public Culture in Native American Women's Popular Musics
In this dissertation, Cain considers the emerging role of Native American women's popular music performance in forming a Native public sphere and a transnational Indigenous public culture in the contested, fluid, and ambiguously shared spaces of the borderlands.
England, M. M. (2016). "I'm Not a Rapper, I'm an Activist Who Rhymes": Native American Hip Hop, Activism, and Twenty-First Century Identities
In this thesis, England examines the ways in which a growing number of Indigenous artists in the United States and Canada are using hip hop not only as a form of artistic expression, but also to vent frustration about and to draw attention to contemporary issues affecting their communities.
Fussell, J. X. (2013). Out of This World: Hearing Indigenous and Immigrant Music in the American South
This project looks to the longstanding omission and ignorance of both American Indian and immigrant musical forms from the documentation and study dedicated to the region's important performative traditions.
Lechusza, A. (2009). Without Reservations : Native Hip Hop and Identity in the Music of W.O.R
This dissertation focuses on how the Native hip hop group WithOut Rezervation (W.O.R.) incorporates hip hop both as genre and culture, to construct a contemporary sense of identity.
Przybylski, L. (2015). Urban Indigeneity and Hip Hop Practice in Contemporary North America
Urbanization has long influenced Indigenous music. While this is often characterized as cultural loss, Indigenous hip hop in the United States and Canada instead demonstrates a vibrant urban musical practice. Developing the framework of "relocated Indigeneity," this dissertation analyzes hip hop as a form of musical messaging that actively renews heritage culture, marking the city as an Indigenous space.
Recollet, K. (2010). Aural Traditions: Indigenous Youth and the Hip-Hop Movement in Canada
In this dissertation, Recollet discuss Native emcees' use of hip-hop music to critically engage their contemporary environments by creating new ways of speaking about themselves, their relationships to cities, and their collective historical memory of traditionally Indigenous lands.
Tsatas, S. A. (2020). She’s Ahead of the Times : A Study of How Buffy Sainte-Marie’s Music Addresses Indigenous Rights (T).
This study demonstrates how Sainte-Marie’s music addresses Indigenous injustices within both Canada and the United States. Discussions of Sainte-Marie’s music have dealt mainly with her lyrics. This study, in contrast, examines both lyrics and music, including such elements as harmony, timbre, form, vocal delivery, and dynamics. Furthermore, her songs are placed within the history of the protest music genre, revealing how Sainte-Marie uses aspects of the genre to advocate for Indigenous rights.
West, D. M. C. (2018). “We Are Not a Conquered People” : Expressions of Resistance, Resurgence, and Reclamation through Electric Pow Wow (T).
Through an examination of A Tribe Called Red’s live shows, music videos, and social/political presence, I investigate Electric Pow Wow as both a physical and virtual gathering place where Indigenous identities are reclaimed, articulated, strengthened, and celebrated within broader movements of decolonization in North America and around the globe.
Wiand, L. L. (2001). The Effects of a Sacred/Shamanic Music on Trauma-related Disorders: Dissociative Disorders and Music of an Indigenous Native American Flute
This study investigated effects of listening to a particular music played on a Native American flute upon self reports of anxiety and perceptions of interconnectedness with individuals diagnosed with Dissociative Disorders.

North American Theses

cIRcle: UBC's Institutional Repository
Full text UBC theses and dissertations (- present). A project is underway to digitize older UBC theses. Currently, theses and dissertations from 1974 to 1987, and 1992 to 2006, are available. Search for subjects using keywords: Aboriginal, Indigenous, First Nations.
ProQuest Dissertations and Theses
Predominantly doctoral dissertations from North American universities (1997 to 2007). There is some international coverage and pre-1997 titles. Search terms: First Nations, Aboriginal, indigenous, Native American.
Theses Canada Portal (Library and Archives Canada)
Approximately 310,000 theses and dissertations from Library and Archives Canada (1965 to present). Full text available for about 90,000. Search terms: First Nations, Aboriginal, Indigenous, Native American.

cIRcle Repository

cIRcle is the University of British Columbia's open access digital repository for research and teaching materials created by the UBC community and its partners. It showcases and preserves UBC’s unique intellectual output by making content freely available to anyone, anywhere via the web.

cIRcle increases your scholarly profile by providing free, permanent access to your work. You can find thousands of UBC Theses and Dissertations in cIRcle as well as exemplary undergraduate and graduate student work. To add your work to cIRcle, you will need to get approval from your professor, instructor or supervisor.

When searching in cIRcle in the regular search or advanced search, make sure to click "search cIRcle only" if you want to see theses, dissertations, and other learning materials.

To find out more, visit the website and read the FAQs or contact a member of the team.

Indigenous Music & Dance

Related Guides

X̱wi7x̱wa Library Guide

How to Use a Thesis

North American Theses

cIRcle Repository