Notes on Morning Star Song

American Primitive Music by Frederick Burton was published in 1909. Although the book contains no melodies expressly for the flute, it does contain a number of songs that could be adapted to the flute. Burton writes about Morning Star on page 239:

Among the ceremonies of the ancient Ojibways was one that took place at day break and often referred to as the "Morning Star." I have not come upon anybody who could describe the ceremony, but Mrs. Sagachewiose, who is remarkably well versed in Indian lore, and an adept in everything pertaining to the ancient mode of life, assures me that this song was an important feature of the ceremony, and that the words here given were the ones used in it. The civilized Ojibways retain the melody and sing all manner of words to it. The tune occurs several times on my phonographic cylinders, and no two set of words are alike.