Tyler Childers Stops Playing Hit Song Over Indigenous Concerns, Donates Proceeds

Tyler Childers has formally announced he will no longer play "Feathered Indians," a song that hasn't appeared in a live setlist for over 2.5 years, since March of 2020. Childers' decision comes after years of personal reflection, and in particular, around the term "Indian," some Indigenous groups denounce or debate the use of this term.

As Childers has stated, during the release of his 2020 record Long Violent History, he began to think about the implications of the song title and lyrics. In fact, a trip to a Blackfeet reservation has also shaped his view on the subject. After meeting an Indigenous man whose son was a fan of "Feathered Indians," Childers felt a sense of guilt that prompted him to reflect on the song's cultural impact.

"And he thought about the word 'Indian,' and whether or not he wanted to keep using a term that Indigenous groups themselves often reject and debate. 'If there's conversation amongst those individuals about whether they should be using that word or not, then it ain't for me to be using. It's not mine,'" he shared.

Though fans have speculated that sobriety or changes in musical direction influenced the song's absence, Childers clarified that the decision is about awareness and responsibility. He also pointed to the lasting emotional connection he still has with the track.

"That song has some of my favorite lines I've ever written, some of my favorite melodies," he says, wiping his eyes. At this point, the table of people setting up for his radio duties in the background has all quietly stopped to listen. "Not playing that song is going to make people think."

Childers and his wife, Senora, now donate all royalties from "Feathered Indians" to support Indigenous communities through the Hickman Holler Appalachian Relief Fund. The fund was founded around the same time Childers reevaluated the song's message.

"Feathered Indians" appeared on his 2017 breakout album, Purgatory, and remains one of his most beloved songs. Inspired by a Red Man Chewing Tobacco belt buckle, it helped launch Childers's rise in the country music scene.

His new album Snipe Hunter will come out on July 25, which represents the next step in his continuing musical evolution.