XIT (band)

XIT
GenresRock
Years active1968–2011
Spinoff ofLincoln St. Exit

XIT (Crossing of Indian Tribes) is a Native American rock band that released two albums in the 1970s on the Rare Earth label.

Their music addresses themes of historic and contemporary Native American issues.

Their initial recording, 1972's Plight of the Redman, is a concept album with rock opera elements, telling "the story of Native life since the times of Columbus using traditional [symphonic] and electric sounds as well as chanting and Native language."[1]

Due to XIT's criticism of governmental treatment of Native Americans and support of the American Indian Movement, the United States government and FBI took action to suppress their music.[2] Circa 1972, they banned their first album from radio airplay[3] and threatened Motown Records unless they defunded promotion of Plight of the Redman.[2] Despite this, XIT toured Europe three times[4] and opened for ZZ Top, Joe Cocker, and The Beach Boys.[3]

In 2007, the Encyclopedia of the Great Plains Indians described the band as "the first commercially successful all-Indian rock band."[5]

  1. ^ "'Sad day for XIT': Pioneering Native rock musician dies unexpectedly". ICT News. Retrieved 2023-10-03.
  2. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference :0 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  3. ^ a b "The Biggest New Mexican Band You've Never Heard Of". www.newmexicomagazine.org. 2019-04-16. Retrieved 2023-10-03.
  4. ^ Cite error: The named reference :6 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  5. ^ Wishart, David J. (2007-03-01). Encyclopedia of the Great Plains Indians. U of Nebraska Press. p. 132. ISBN 978-0-8032-9862-0.