Powwow drums

[WhoMe]

I recently saw an article about a drum making project that changed the lives and attitude of Native youth that were involved.

I began thinking about the drum and the many changes that have occurred in the evolution of the powwow drum.

I used to have a drum sculpture made up of many Native drums. Included was a tall pueblo ceremonial drum, a square Karuk drum with imbedded abalone shells, a NAC drum, Haida hand drum, a traditional powwow drum, a contemporary powwow drum, a 49 drum, hand game two-sided drum, a 8-sided hand drum, large hand drum and small hand drum.

In researching drums, the big standardized drums seen at powwows today weren't always the norm. In my lifetime I have seen powwow drums made from barrels, kettles, hollowed out-logs and contemporary bass drum frames.

Do any of you remember powwow drums of the past?

Who are active drum makers today?

What kind of materials and hides do they/you use?

What kind of drum stand do you use?

Is there a drum keeper in your drum group? If so, what is his duties?

Was there something special done before your drum was used or when it was used for the first time?

Have you ever witnessed a powwow drum ever busting during a powwow? What happened?

[Iowa_Boy]

are we helping you with your homework? (aye!)

[WhoMe]

Naw. Just wanting something new to discuss to make it to the weekend.

[LSS]

busted drum...

Yeah...the last beat on a song....split....looked like a dang check mark.

We taped it up, flipped it over, and kept singing....eventually the tape couldn't handle the power and we had to switch drums.

[ladychrisdean]

Question about Drum etiquette

I am not sure where to post this, but I thought this fits best. Any insights would be much appreciated.

Background - I am the vice-chair to the Powwow chair for a local annual powwow. Last year we asked a Northern Drum group to be our host Northern Drum at this year's powwow. They accepted.

More Background - during the 2008 powwow the then Powwow Chair spoke to this group about wearing shorts at the drum. It was his opinion that proper respect to the drum includes wearing long pants while drumming.

Current Situation - 3 weeks ago this drum group contacted our Powwow chair and informed him that they would be unable to be at our Powwow due to a death in the family. It was a bit short notice since our Powwow is Labor Day weekend, but we were able to find a replacement drum.

Where my confusion begins - This last weekend this drum group was at another local Powwow drumming. The drum group that is to be their replacement at our Powwow saw them there and asked what was going on. Apparently there was not a death in the family. The group did not want to drum at our Powwow because they didn't want to have to wear long pants while drumming.

If you have followed all of this, thanks for your patience.

It was my impression that if you accepted an offer to drum for a Powwow, you don't back out with a lie. The Powwow chair and I have talked and we don't want to welcome this drum group to any of our events in the future. Are we justified, or is wearing shorts acceptable while drumming?

[Josiah]

I am not sure where to post this, but I thought this fits best. Any insights would be much appreciated.

Background - I am the vice-chair to the Powwow chair for a local annual powwow. Last year we asked a Northern Drum group to be our host Northern Drum at this year's powwow. They accepted.

More Background - during the 2008 powwow the then Powwow Chair spoke to this group about wearing shorts at the drum. It was his opinion that proper respect to the drum includes wearing long pants while drumming.

Current Situation - 3 weeks ago this drum group contacted our Powwow chair and informed him that they would be unable to be at our Powwow due to a death in the family. It was a bit short notice since our Powwow is Labor Day weekend, but we were able to find a replacement drum.

Where my confusion begins - This last weekend this drum group was at another local Powwow drumming. The drum group that is to be their replacement at our Powwow saw them there and asked what was going on. Apparently there was not a death in the family. The group did not want to drum at our Powwow because they didn't want to have to wear long pants while drumming.

If you have followed all of this, thanks for your patience.

It was my impression that if you accepted an offer to drum for a Powwow, you don't back out with a lie. The Powwow chair and I have talked and we don't want to welcome this drum group to any of our events in the future. Are we justified, or is wearing shorts acceptable while drumming?

You had a dress code for only long pants???

[fly_high_life]

Long pants at the drum is southern drum etiquette, not northern. It may have actually insulted them since that is not their tradition. Of course, I don't think they did right by lying about it, either...

[ladychrisdean]

Long pants at the drum is southern drum etiquette, not northern. It may have actually insulted them since that is not their tradition. Of course, I don't think they did right by lying about it, either...

This is something I was not aware of. I understand now why they would be offended, but still lying about it was not necessary. They could have talked to us about it.

I do find it interesting that most of the pictures they have on their facebook page show them in long pants at the drum.

Oh well.

Thank you for your insight.

[hobbs49]

Do any of you remember powwow drums of the past?

I remember the old bass drums. Seemed like they were more used by the northern singers. They also used to use those fluffy drum sticks a lot more back then. Together they gave a really smooth sound to the drum.

It also seems that I saw a lot more painted drum heads back in the day, often times painted with the group name (as it seems the northern guys had drum groups way before southern groups). I don't see much paint going on anymore.

LadyChris it could have been worse. They could have not given you any notice and just not showed up. While I don't condone the lie, it was likely their way to give you some notice to find someone else while possibly keeping the drama down. Just a thought.

[fly_high_life]

No prb, just sharing what I've been taught. I don't think all drum groups do it that way, tho. And I agree, if they had talked with you it might have gone better..

[chazziff]

I am not sure where to post this, but I thought this fits best. Any insights would be much appreciated.

Background - I am the vice-chair to the Powwow chair for a local annual powwow. Last year we asked a Northern Drum group to be our host Northern Drum at this year's powwow. They accepted.

More Background - during the 2008 powwow the then Powwow Chair spoke to this group about wearing shorts at the drum. It was his opinion that proper respect to the drum includes wearing long pants while drumming.

Current Situation - 3 weeks ago this drum group contacted our Powwow chair and informed him that they would be unable to be at our Powwow due to a death in the family. It was a bit short notice since our Powwow is Labor Day weekend, but we were able to find a replacement drum.

Where my confusion begins - This last weekend this drum group was at another local Powwow drumming. The drum group that is to be their replacement at our Powwow saw them there and asked what was going on. Apparently there was not a death in the family. The group did not want to drum at our Powwow because they didn't want to have to wear long pants while drumming.

If you have followed all of this, thanks for your patience.

It was my impression that if you accepted an offer to drum for a Powwow, you don't back out with a lie. The Powwow chair and I have talked and we don't want to welcome this drum group to any of our events in the future. Are we justified, or is wearing shorts acceptable while drumming?

you and the committee should have mentioned this stipulation and any other ones that your committee had, when you asked the drum to be at your event.

then they would have been well aware of your rules and your wish to in force them on the drums you want to be at your event, not AFTER they agreed to attend.

and are you 100% sure that all the members of the drum were at the other pow wow? sometimes, if there is a death in some or one of the members of the drum (most of the singers in a group are often times closely related), only those members chose to sit out.

and most times, groups do not want to do host jobs with pick up singers - which would have happened if some were out mourning. maybe the group that was "seen" was mostly "pick ups"