Each animal from which the drum is made has its own unique medicine: its spirit is part of the drum. Just like humans, each drum has its own very unique voice and vibration.
The drum is a constant reminder of our responsibility towards the preservation and health of Mother Earth. We lose ourselves in our quest for security through the acquisition of material possessions, paying little heed to the devastating cost to the environment in our zeal to have ‘stuff’ and look ‘good’. One of the reasons that the earth is being destroyed at such an alarming rate is the disconnect that humans have with her.
When playing a drum, it should never be hammered in an aggressive way as this suggests it’s a ‘beating’, and one may never hit a woman. Therefore, First Nations drums are not percussion instruments per se or a toy, they are considered female and human because of their tie to the earth. The drum, when combined with the voice, creates a hum that rests between the voice and the drum and is thought to be the spirits of the Ancestors. This Rhythm facilitates healing and realignment of the four realms of human existence (Mental, Spiritual, Emotional and Physical) because the Creator revolves around the rhythm. First Nations Peoples manifest this heartbeat through playing a special rhythm on the drum. The first sound that was heard in the world was the heartbeat of Mother Earth. This is why it has been a tribal custom (in most tribes) that women not sit at the drum or play it.įor First Nations Peoples, the drum represents the universal heartbeat of Mother Earth, the Universal goddess and mother to us all. The big drum was a gift from the women to the men a very long time ago, so that men could experience a resonant connection to the Earth Mother that naturally occurs with women. The beating of the drum helps us listen to our soul so we can understand our purpose and our connection to each other in the Circle of Life.