Sounds Like Milwaukee

This is Sounds Like Milwaukee, a WUWM project that celebrates the sounds of our city.

Sounds Like Milwaukee: A prayer in Oneida

WUWM 89.7 FM | By Maayan Silver

Published November 2, 2023 at 9:00 AM CDT

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Six members of the Oneida Prayer Singers perform at the Indigenous Felt Knowledge Festival at UW-Milwaukee. Charlene Smith is second from the left. The singers are wearing purple because it's a significant color for the Oneida, whose wampum beads are made from the quahog shell, which was used for trade with other Native nations along the Atlantic coast. The color of the shells are purple and white.

In our Sounds Like Milwaukee series, we’re collecting your most memorable sounds. On today’s episode, we hear the Oneida Prayer Singers — and learn their captivating history.

They’re a Wisconsin group of mostly elder Oneida tribe members who have been singing Christian hymns in the Oneida language for decades.

It's a tradition of resistance that started centuries ago, and why it's one woman's favorite sounds.

Learn how to submit YOUR favorite sounds here.