The Drum
INDIGENOUS INSTITUTE of the AMERICAS
INSTITUTO INDIGENISTA de las AMERICAS
The Drum
At the heart of any pow-wow is the drum. It is the heartbeat of the people and is much more than a musical instrument. Many drummers have practiced for years to learn the traditional songs of the people. Whether the drum is made of hides or is a more modern version, it is respected. Nothing is ever set on it and no one reaches across it. The singers who surround the drum are each connected to the power of the drum by their drumsticks. Their songs honor the traditions of the people and drum groups practice long hours with a lead singer.
The Host Drum of the pow-wow is a drum group responsible for providing music for the dancers to dance to. At an Intertribal pow-wow generally two or more drums are hired to be the host drums, often a Host Northern Drum and a Host Southern Drum. Each drum has a Lead Singer who runs his drum and leads his singers while singing. Host drums are responsible for singing the songs at the beginning and end of a pow-wow session, generally a starting song, the grand entry song, a flag song, and a veterans or victory song to start the pow-wow, and a flag song, retreat song and closing song to end the pow-wow. Additionally, if a pow-wow has gourd dancing, the Southern Host Drum is often the drum that sings all the gourd songs, though another drum can perform them. The host drums are often called upon to sing speical songs during the pow-wow.
Pow Wow singers are very important figures in the Native People's culture. Without them there would be no dancing. The songs are of many varieties, from religious to war to social. As various tribes gathered together, they would share their songs, often changing the songs so singers of different tribes could join. With these changes came the use of "vocables" to replace the words of the old songs. Thus, some songs today are sung in vocables with no words. Yet they still hold special meaning to those who know the song. Many songs are still sung in native tongue either newly composed or revivals of old songs. These songs are reminders to the Native People of their old ways and rich heritage.
This site has a listing of traditional pow wow drum groups. Click here: http://www.powwows.com/resource/drum_list.php
The Cherokee Stomp Dance is one of the few dances that do not require the beat of the drum. The dancers translate the beat of the drum acting out the story it tells through their dance.
Darrell Blackbear with the Bear Claw drum group of Dallas gives a tobacco offering on the drum before the Alabama-Coushatta Tribe 38th Annual Pow Wow on the Alabama-Coushatta reservation
Sonny Blackbear (left of center) leads the song of the Bear Clawdrum group from Dallas as Mel Whitebird (center in red) prepares to start the gourd dance during the Alabama-Coushatta Tribe 38th Annual Pow Wow on the Alabama-Coushatta reservation.
