The Ojibwa Dance Drum: Its History and Construction

The Ojibwa Dance Drum: Its History and ConstructionHiding in a lake under lily pads after fleeing U. S. soldiers, a Dakota woman was given a vision over the course of four days instructing her to build a large drum and teaching her the songs that would bring peace and end the killing of her people. From the Dakota, the "big drum" spread throughout the Algonquian speaking tribes to the Ojibwe, becoming the centerpiece of their religious ceremonies. This edition of The Ojibwe Dance Drum, originally

the Native and the non-Native

and resources

who has spent time in the Arctic and whose deep appreciation for its subtle beauty shines through her art

and the word songs Young Bear sang to his children

" —Philip J

and the wisdom of female elders

the "people's poet" has also made great strides as a Native American activist

are mostly unwritten

colonial land tenure

Young people are learning their languages to gain a sense of identity and a link to their family and community

Absentee Indians and Other Poems evokes personal yet universal experiences of the places that Native Americans call home

observing that America's mathematical point of beginning is located in the heart of her tribe's homeland: "I do not have the Shawnee words to describe this place