The Drum Arbor Drums can come from a variety of sources. Some are handed down in a family, others are donated to a drum group. Older drums are made of deer, elk, horse or buffalo hides, but contemporary bass drums can be purchased, renovated, and even blessed, just as the older drums are. The traditional drum has its own life. Some drum groups have gone through ceremonies and had their drums blessed and named, and the drum has its own powerful spirit. Gifts are made to the drum, and some drums even have their own sacred medicine pipes. In tradition, the drum symbolizes the heartbeat of our Mother Earth. The drum must always be treated with respect as a sacred thing. Nothing is ever set on a drum, nor does anyone reach across it. Many drums even have their own song, which is frequently sung as a warm-up at the beginning of the Powwow celebration. The beat of the drum is like a heartbeat, starting slowly and then beating more quickly as the singers get further into the song. The drumsticks connect the singers to the power of the drum as they sing. There are many different kinds of rhythms and drumbeats, and each type of song requires a different one. The drumbeats must be in perfect time, and each singer must be in perfect unison. It should be noted that powwow practices vary from region to region in United States and Canada. Sincere thanks and acknowledgment to the American Indian Education Committee of the Minnesota State Board of Education who sponsored those who wrote the Ojibwe content of this unit.

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