Pleiades Ioken:yate was written in 2024 for The Guild of Carillonneurs in North America. Ioken:yate (pronounced yo GAN yah day) is a Kaniènkéha (Mohawk) word that refers to the portal of the seven dancers or what is known to many as the Pleiades. Many Indigenous North American nations have a similar story as to how the Pleiades came into existence. The Haudenosaunnee Confederacy, with whom the Mohawk nation belong, describe how 7 dancing boys became the 7 dancing stars. When the Pleiades constellation appears, the boys continue to let us know when it is time to do certain things, such as mid-winter ceremonies and planting. In the composition, the carillon evokes sounds of the glistening stars and messages from the cosmos. I created a short song in a Haudenosaunnee style that is heard in its entirety near the end of the song, when the boys are sent up to the sky world to dance and sing. Seven repeated notes can be heard throughout the work: one for each of the boys who stomp as they dance. It was a pleasure to learn about and experience the passion for the carillon with The Guild of Carillonneurs in North America.

—Dawn Avery