Medicine Shields was originally written in NYC in 2001 for a premiere performance at the Puffin Foundation and performed by EngleWinds. It was commissioned by Sarah Davol, director of the EngleWinds quintet, and a Meet The Composer Grant and was revised for a performance and recording at The Robert E. Parilla Performing Arts Center in Maryland, also by the EngleWinds quintet whose sensitivity and expertise in performing contemporary music specifically about environmental and indigenous issues is extraordinary. Medicine shields were carried into battle by some Native American warriors for spiritual protection. They are sacred objects, often made of stretched buckskin painted with sacred protective images. In many of my works, I am concerned with issues of de-colonization among colonized people. This work reflects that process among Native Peoples of the Americas in its use of changing dynamics, tempi, and mood, while retaining traditional ties through native rhythms, sounds, and various melodic themes.