Naamiwan’s Drum follows the story of a famous Ojibwe medicine man, his gifted grandson, and remarkable water drum. This drum, and forty other artefacts, were given away by a Canadian museum to an American Anishinaabe group that had no family or community connections to the collection. Many years passed before the drum was returned to the family and only about half of the artefacts were ever returned to the museum. Maureen Matthews takes us through this astonishing set of events from multiple perspectives, exploring community and museum viewpoints, visiting the ceremonial group leader in Wisconsin, and finally looking back from the point of view of the drum. The book contains a powerful Anishinaabe interpretive perspective on repatriation and on anthropology itself. Containing fourteen beautiful colour illustrations, Naamiwan’s Drum is a compelling account of repatriation as well as a cautionary tale for museum professionals.

"A fascinating account of both the historical and current struggle of Native Americans to recover sacred objects that have been plundered and sold to museums. Museum curator and anthropologist Chip Colwell asks the all-important question: Who owns the past? Museums that care for the objects of history or the communities whose ancestors made them?"--Provided by the publisher

Take a guided tour from a writer who grew up and studied on Native American reservations and join those throughout the world—from Siberia to South America, Australia to Africa—who venerate the drum for its healing and celebratory powers. Through painting, cleansing, blessing, smudging, dedicating, chanting, and performing, you’ll find your own special beat, transforming the drum into a medicinal tool. Become one with a purchased or homemade instrument. Draw on the knowledge of Native American and other cultures to drum away fear, purify, establish a sacred space, and reach into areas of the consciousness that would otherwise be inaccessible. Extra special bonus: a CD with more than an hour’s worth of music for a Sacred Directions ceremony, meditation, trance, and more.

An authority on American Indian traditions provides complete, thorough directions for creating dance drums, tomtoms, water drums, and much more. Materials include such everyday items as wooden kegs, flower pots, coffee cans, buckets, and old inner tubes. Also includes instructions for making drumsticks and rattles. 121 figures.

Drummer, dancer, and folklorist Sule Greg Wilson introduces the principles behind African and Diaspora music, including breath, posture, and orchestration.

Fiction, Reading Recovery Level 13, F&P Level H, DRA2 Level 14, Theme Native Americans, Stage Transitional, Character N/A

In response to the phenomenal resurgence of the drum nationwide, Michael has completely revised and expanded the 1991 edition for all those folks discovering the power of drumming. This useful book reveals profound teachings about shamanic drumming, which is a time-honored method of healing and helping others. Trained as a ceremonial drummer in the Mongolian and Native American shamanic traditions, Michael presents the first practical guide to applying this ancient healing art to our modern lives. Through a series of simple exercises, lessons, and rituals, he teaches you the basic shamanic methods of drumming. The focus is on creating sacred space, journeying, power practice, power animals, geomancy, drum therapy, drum harmonics, drum circle dynamics, and the universal rhythmic phenomena that come into play whenever we drum. The techniques are simple and powerful. Whether you are an accomplished percussionist or a total beginner, this user-friendly book will help you harness the power of drumming.