WEG Drum Making Journey

First published on the SD8 Aboriginal Education site

Last November W.E. Graham Community School students took part in a feast and a drum circle lead by community members.  The energy and voices were beautiful.  In the days following the students were still feeling the beat of the drums in their bodies, and they had questions.  When can we do more drumming? What were those drums made of? How many drum songs are there? Can we drum outside?   

A year and half later those drumbeats and questions have taken the school and a learning journey that is a long way from being completed. With the support of generous knowledge holders, community members and a grant from the Columbia Basin Trust, through the Village of Slocan students and staff are preparing to make a class set of hand drums in February.   

One of the most interesting parts of the learning so far was the preparation of a Moose hide that was gifted to the project.  With the guidance of Elder Mama Tea students learned some of the old ways of working with hides as well as some more modern processes for preparing a rawhide to make drums with.   

In February the school will be welcoming Elders, knowledge holders and community members to work with students around some traditions and processes of making hand drums.  

Submitted by Curtis Bendig, Aboriginal Academic Success Teacher, WEG