Last week Michael Cazon was in town again, this time leading a drum making workshop. The boys of the school, as well as Wayne and myself, had a great time making our own instruments. It has been a long time since Nahanni Butte was last home to a cadre of drummers, and it was great to see the boys getting so excited about it.
The first step was acquiring the wood for the frames. A beautiful birch was selected and felled, and long planks were drawn from its heart. The raw wood was cool and moist, a tactile reminder that it was alive and growing mere moments before.
We took the wood to the workshop, and carefully planed the edges so that the frame could be bent and clamped into shape.
Wayne and Michael constructed a homemade steamer, and the planks were left inside for an hour or so until they were properly soaked.
The next step was to bend the steamed wood into shape. Finding a way to hold a smooth circle while they dried required a little ingenuity, but we eventually figured out a system of lashing them with rope and placing them inside the rim of oil drums.
Ideally we would have left the frames to dry for several days, but Michael had to leave at the end of the week so we had to move on to the final step. Hide was cut to shape and lashed to the frames with babiche, strips of rawhide that are pliable when wet but firm when dry. Some of the drums used caribou, which is thin and easier to work, while others used moose, which produces a deeper and warmer sound.
Lacing the hide was somewhat tricky, as both the babiche and hide had to be kept moist or else they would harden into shape and become impossible to work. Eventually we got the hang of it, though, more or less. Once finished, the frame was left to dry and we set about carving drumsticks from fallen branches.
Later on there was a dedication ceremony at the arbor, and Michael led us in some prayer songs as offerings were made and the drums absorbed the smoke from the sacred fire. I was pleased and humbled to be asked to become one of the community drummers, and I readily accepted. The Dene drum truly is a social instrument, and playing in concert with others is a very powerful experience. I look forward to many more drum dances and ceremonies in the days to come!
