Men from Plains and Woodlands tribes traditionally used flutes for communication. According to Jeffrey Chapman, who made this courting flute, music was a way for young men to attract the attention of the young women in the tribe,

“Each young man would play a song to a particular young lady, and each lady would respond or not, depending on if she was interested in that particular individual or not.”

Not everything in The Science Museum of Minnesota’s collection is old. I like this flute because it highlights a local and contemporary artist, Jeff Chapman, and demonstrates that culture is dynamic. While Chapman uses the idea of the traditional courting flute as a foundation, he incorporates today’s influences and new materials into his artwork.
- Tilly Laskey, Curator of Ethnology