fanning the drum

[Dakota Sandz]

This has been such a hot topic over the years. Personaly, I dont know why people do that, and heard alot of powwow people balk at this, But I try to keep an open mind about this because I dont know the story behind it. Maybe you people could help me out with this one. Is it apropriate or not. Lemme know.

[Kiwehnzii]

I posted on this topic way back.

The very first time I saw someone do this was a woman. A very well-respected one at that. She fanned her families drum - Whitefish Bay. The late Maggie White. This was at Leech Lake, Minnesota.

Since that time, ( I didn't ask), I assumed that it was a woman's thing, a jingle dress dancers thing.
A coupla years later, I seen a dude do this. I thought, hey, whats up with this?

This is all I can say about that. (Forrest Gump-like)

[anishtradish]

Every tribe has different views on whistles, and eagle fans, so I can only talk about what I know from my own people.

Ojibway people never used eagle whistles. That came from out west from the sun dancers, and now in many places, especially in Minnesota, there seems to always be a lot on conflict with whistles. Some powwows don't allow them, while some do. Sometimes a whistle blower will be called up to the mic to explain to everyone who they are, why they blew the whistle and who gave it to them, or how they earned it.

A lot of the real traditionalists and elders around here don't like eagle whistles because they come from other tribe's ceremonies, and should only be used in that way. Sometimes Ojibway people will go to the sun dance, with the Lakota and Dakota, then come back here with the Lakota and Dakota beliefs, and bring their whistles to the powwows. Thats when you get the traditionalists a little mad, because they don't want to acknowledge other tribe's customs within their own. But if the whistle carrier actually belongs to a tribe that does use whistles in that way, they generally get respected. We did though, have old wood whistles, that were used on drums in our ceremonies, but that was a society of whistle carriers that really isnt around anymore, and very few, if any, original wood whistles still are in use. Now people will make wooden whistles and use them just for show, or because they like the song, rather than actually having a spiritual reason.

But we do fan drums to keep them going, either because the song makes you feel good and you want to keep it going, or if you have another deeper spiritual reason for doing so. Thats something that is acceptable around these parts. Usually only men do it, but once in a great while you will see a woman do it, and from what I was told, they have to be elders, over the age when they don't get the monthly cycle anymore. I was also told at one time, women weren't even allowed to carry eagle fans, because a woman has so much power. It's the same way in the sun dance. If a woman is the warrior in the family, in many tribes, she would be allowed to play a role of a man in a sun dance and carry and use a whistle. But personally, I have only seen one woman ever fan a drum around here, and she is an elder who does it very rarely.

so really in the Ojibway way, we use fans just like someone would use a whistle, and a lot of whistle carriers around here would rather just fan a drum, and avoid any conflict with the traditionalists. But we still get our share of whistles all the time. Just depends on the powwow.

[steelemagnolia63]

Here we have so many different tribes blended together that we get the drum whistled, and fanned up by a few of the men... I have never seen a woman do it. I have strong feeling that this is not the place of a Woman. So I will remain quiet on that subject.

It does seem that when the drum is fanned up, it's a very strong feeling that comes out it... very spiritual, lots of good energy from it....

[soopashinaab]

Every tribe has different views on whistles, and eagle fans, so I can only talk about what I know from my own people.

Ojibway people never used eagle whistles. That came from out west from the sun dancers, and now in many places, especially in Minnesota, there seems to always be a lot on conflict with whistles. Some powwows don't allow them, while some do. Sometimes a whistle blower will be called up to the mic to explain to everyone who they are, why they blew the whistle and who gave it to them, or how they earned it.

A lot of the real traditionalists and elders around here don't like eagle whistles because they come from other tribe's ceremonies, and should only be used in that way. Sometimes Ojibway people will go to the sun dance, with the Lakota and Dakota, then come back here with the Lakota and Dakota beliefs, and bring their whistles to the powwows. Thats when you get the traditionalists a little mad, because they don't want to acknowledge other tribe's customs within their own. But if the whistle carrier actually belongs to a tribe that does use whistles in that way, they generally get respected. We did though, have old wood whistles, that were used on drums in our ceremonies, but that was a society of whistle carriers that really isnt around anymore, and very few, if any, original wood whistles still are in use. Now people will make wooden whistles and use them just for show, or because they like the song, rather than actually having a spiritual reason.

But we do fan drums to keep them going, either because the song makes you feel good and you want to keep it going, or if you have another deeper spiritual reason for doing so. Thats something that is acceptable around these parts. Usually only men do it, but once in a great while you will see a woman do it, and from what I was told, they have to be elders, over the age when they don't get the monthly cycle anymore. I was also told at one time, women weren't even allowed to carry eagle fans, because a woman has so much power. It's the same way in the sun dance. If a woman is the warrior in the family, in many tribes, she would be allowed to play a role of a man in a sun dance and carry and use a whistle. But personally, I have only seen one woman ever fan a drum around here, and she is an elder who does it very rarely.

so really in the Ojibway way, we use fans just like someone would use a whistle, and a lot of whistle carriers around here would rather just fan a drum, and avoid any conflict with the traditionalists. But we still get our share of whistles all the time. Just depends on the powwow.

I agree for the most part... don't know if I ever heard of wooden whistles being used. I'm a young guy though and still learning.