I speak alot of protocols and traditions as thye have been a cornerstone and foundation in my life and teachings..the same is said for the westren or pow-wow drum what we Crees refer to as "Misto-Kwa-Skake;,
My late father was a wellknown drum maker amongst his many recognized rites he had achieved through old style apprenticeship.
He made drums of all sizes for nearly 45 years bfore he died...he sang all of his life and was a veraccomplished singer in all areas.
He told me as a young boy that the drum needs 7 men to be whole, each one ogf these men receiving the rite to be a caretaker of the drum. One man was repsonsible for the drum itself, another for the frame, another for the sticks and finally when the canes of "Chocans" as we call them were common, another 4 men each had responsibilty to care and keep this part of the drum.
These parts rarely travelled togehter or stayed together, only they came togehter at a gathering, ceremony or pow-wow where the drum was to sing.
My dad told me all parts of the drum had to be present for the dum to be able to sing. Earning the rite to care for and keep one of these parts is another long and difficult journey and it was rare in my oyuth to see anyone but either an elder or older man sitting on the drum. Back then it was the younger boys like myself who stood behind and sang, now it is women, something my aunt, Florence Deschamps of Pigeon Lake singers started up in the early 70's.
Today the Chocans are never seen as competition pow-wow has detraditionalized the meaning of the drum, but they are seen at other gatherings and the tradition of passing on responsibility to care and keep for parts of a drum are continued.
Kahkakew
My late father was a wellknown drum maker amongst his many recognized rites he had achieved through old style apprenticeship.
He made drums of all sizes for nearly 45 years bfore he died...he sang all of his life and was a veraccomplished singer in all areas.
He told me as a young boy that the drum needs 7 men to be whole, each one ogf these men receiving the rite to be a caretaker of the drum. One man was repsonsible for the drum itself, another for the frame, another for the sticks and finally when the canes of "Chocans" as we call them were common, another 4 men each had responsibilty to care and keep this part of the drum.
These parts rarely travelled togehter or stayed together, only they came togehter at a gathering, ceremony or pow-wow where the drum was to sing.
My dad told me all parts of the drum had to be present for the dum to be able to sing. Earning the rite to care for and keep one of these parts is another long and difficult journey and it was rare in my oyuth to see anyone but either an elder or older man sitting on the drum. Back then it was the younger boys like myself who stood behind and sang, now it is women, something my aunt, Florence Deschamps of Pigeon Lake singers started up in the early 70's.
Today the Chocans are never seen as competition pow-wow has detraditionalized the meaning of the drum, but they are seen at other gatherings and the tradition of passing on responsibility to care and keep for parts of a drum are continued.
Kahkakew
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