Jun 21 2007
Sacred Drummers
Sacred drumming is an exciting part of my personal and professional life. As a Native American woman who was raised in what is known as a “traditional Indian home”, becoming a sacred drummer was not a common occurrence in the culture that I was raised in. The culture happens to be Ho Chunk (Winnebago) and Potawatomi.
My mother happens to be the North American Indian and we lived among my mother’s side of the family. I was taught that a female was not allowed to touch a drum or drum stick. Drummers were only male tribal members. I did the next best thing and that was to learn how to dance to the beat of the drum, the sound of Mother Earth. I became a sacred dancer at age 5. I became a sacred drummer at age 42. How did this occur you may be wondering?
I attended my Advanced Interior Alignment™ course with Denise Linn. In that particular course, Denise, taught us how to make a Native American hand drum. I was just a little nervous, okay a lot of nervous. I explained to Denise my feelings and she was so gracious and such a great teacher. She offered to make the drum for me, or if I chose to start the drum and found I couldn’t finish the making of the drum, that she would do that for me. Denise made it safe for me to explore the possibility of making my own drum.
I have to admit, I was waiting for the lightning to strike or some thing awful to happen, but it didn’t. It did however take me a whole year before I drummed in public or even shared with some Native American friends and a few family members that I owned a drum.
I know that I stepped so far past a belief. I had to find out for myself if that belief that women couldn’t drum was a truth for me. It is believed that the Creator chooses a drummer as they are the connection between Heaven and Earth as they drum the beat of Mother Earth. I believe I was chosen to be a sacred drummer as I did not ask to make a drum, but it was offered to me. I didn’t even know that making a drum was to be a part of the Advanced Interior Alignment™ course until I arrived for the course!
And, now, 5 years later, I not only drum and use my drum for space clearing, I teach others how use a drum in space clearing and also teach others to make their own hand drums and assist in their intiation as a sacred drummer.
My mother is supportive of my drumming and teaching about drum making as long as I hold it sacred. This I can definately accomplish.
Hi Neshi,
Thank you for sharing your story. Reading it reminded me of my guided meditation to find my space clearing ally in Interior Alignment training. I wanted so much for my ally to be a drum, but the message I heard was that I was not ‘allowed’ to have one of my own. I was ‘allowed’ to use Denise’s drums though, and became very particular about which drum and beater I used.
Training with Denise Linn and all the space clearing tools she had for our use was awe inspiring. Actually it was Denise’s book “Space Clearing” that made me want to study with her. It was the photographs of those magical space clearing tools. I couldn’t believe it when I got to the Intensive and realised that the tools in the book were her tools and for our use!
After I became a practitioner, like you I felt called to step beyond the belief that I was not allowed to drum. It had to do with my own sense of self worth; I think basically that the drum was such ‘big medicine’ that I felt unworthy. To accept the drum I had to fully accept myself - to ’step into my power’ as they say. It is somehow easier to accept the faults we see in ourselves than it is to accept our divine nature.
Now that I am an Interior Alignment teacher I too have drums for my students to use, and I have a personal healing drum. I was told that it was one of the last drums made by a MicMac elder in Nova Scotia.
Follow up to this drum/drumming post came this question from Michele:
Dear Deborah
I live in South Africa, and have a American Indian drum which Denise Linn had made for me by Morning Bear many years ago, and I am writing in the hope that you could please give me some advice on what maintenance it needs, or refer me to someone who can. A friend of mine also bought one of Denise’s drums, but hers split in half, and I would like to ensure that does not happen to mine. It is a wonderful drum made of elk hyde, and I have attached a photo which shows that it includes a part of the spine.
As I understand, the drum wants to be sprayed with water from time to time, but I am not sure if it needs treatment with any kind of cream like dubbin.
I would very much appreciate your advice in this regard.
With thanks and kind regards
Michele
Responses from Deborah and Neshi:
Hi Michelle!
Lucky you to have a drum made by Denise! I love her drums and yours is a beautiful one.
What I was taught is that drums don’t need any care or maintenance other than keeping them in as even a temperature as possible. Keep it out of the direct heat of the sun and away from damp locations.
As to being sprayed with water, it depends on where you live. My drums (made of deer) almost always need to be warmed up to tighten the skin because our climate is fairly humid. If someone were in an arid climate the drum might need to be loosened by misting with water, but you want to avoid getting it too wet or making it unevenly wet because that can create a stress area.
– Deborah
Hi Michele,
Wow, what a great gift, a drum made by Denise. I understand your inquiry about caring for your drum. Deborah has given you great advice. I can only offer that the raw hide used to make the drum head and also the wood used to make the drum hoop is sensitive to the area in which they come from and are made. So for instance if your drum was made in the State of Washington in the U.S. it is very damp there so your drum would want to have more damp than dry conditions to be in the best of health.
Conversely if your drum was made in a very dry, arrid environment, it would be healthiest in a dry environment. You will be able to tell if the drum needs moisture or dryness by the sound of its “voice”. If the sound is thuddy it is asking for dryness, so heat it up with a hair dryer or hold it to your body to warm it up. If it’s voice sounds thin or tinny, it is asking for moisture. All you have to do is mist the drum head inside and out, very lightly. You will have to check its voice on a regular basis.
It sounds like your friends drum, the one that split, was too dry. I could repair it for her, by re-stretching the drum head, hide, onto a new hoop. I can only do this if the drum head has not been torn. It the drum head has been torn, then it is best to do a ceremony for the drum and return it to the earth with much love and gratitude.
Drums are made from organic material and they are meant to return to the Earth when it is their time, even if we take great care of them, they are a part of the life cycle.
I hope this has been helpful. Please let me know how your drum and you are fairing after all this advice. — Neshi