Severt Young Bear was a traditional Lakota singer and was respected for his knowledge of traditional Lakota culture; he was also a founder and lead singer for an influential Lakota singing group, the Porcupine Singers (from the Porcupine District of the Pine Ridge Reservation in South Dakota). He co-wrote (along with R. D. Theisz, his friend, fellow Porcupine Singer, and professor at Black Hills State University) the book Standing in the Light: A Lakota Way of Seeing. This book came out of a series of recorded conversations between the two friends; their project was inspired by Young Bear's wish to pass some of his knowledge "of the old ways" to future generations, both Indian and non-Indian. He also talks about his development as a singer and leader among the Lakota. The book has a very concise (5 page) history of the Sioux (of which the Lakota are a part); this helped deepen my understanding of who the Lakota were (and are), and Young Bear's views on his people and their ways, and his place in that society.
The book is an inspiring and positive reflection on a life well-lived. Young Bear's story resonated with me because he often talked about his desire to improve himself as a singer and Lakota man, one who can know the right traditional song for the occasion, and who can also write songs for the occasion. I had many "ah-ha" moments while reading the book, especially from stories and tales that were sad, funny, and optimistic. In my reading, I also realized that the drumming can't be separated from its wider implications: that drumming is a part of the culture of singing and dancing, which plays a special role in keeping the traditional Lakota ways alive. However, the drum is a focal point of the energy behind this--it proivdes the rhythm to the singer and the dancer--which means that it is an instrumental literally) force in maintaining the Lakota identity into the 21st century.
So, I wanted to find out, through Young Bear's story, the meaning, significance, and use of the drum for the Lakota. Here's what I discovered.
Drums, along with the singing of traditional or sacred songs, are used mainly at ceremonies, festivals and dances, and other sacred events. Sometimes a drum was even accorded honors that a person would receive. Young Bear mentions that the drum the Porcupine Singers used for many years was named "The People Hear Its Voice", and it was treated in a reverential way. It received gifts that were usually offered in honor of a warrior or wise elder. Young Bear also relates that hand drums were often used in the home to accompany family members' signing, and that this home-based singing was a way for the family to connect with each other and to work through emotions--off happiness, sadness, anger-whatever the mood was at the time. Unfortunately, Young Bear said, this tradition is no longer prevalent, and that the drum and singing voice has been replaced by the radio in most Lakota homes.
Young Bear talks about the communal and sacred aspects of the drum. The drum was used as a way to communicate, to send messages through a Lakota camp, so that all could hear it, such as to call people to a special event or dance. On the sacred side, the powerful voice of the drum helped the singer go beyond him or herself to reach the Great Spirit with song. This idea resonated with me, because I often feel that sense of connection that the drum brings, of being in a sort of sacred space. He mentions that, traditionally, the drum was also called "the heartbeat of grandmother earth"--the sound that lies within the earth. This is a very apt and powerful image, that speaks to me of the moving and grounding power of the drum, and music in general.
Another literally striking aspect of Lakota drumming is the emphasis on the drumstick. There are types that have a sheepskin or a leather head; some drummers use wooden sticks, and others use sticks made of synthetic materials. Young Bear says that the "serious and dedicated singers take pride in their drumstick"; and that "you can tell the kind of singer by the way he takes care of his drumstick; after all, that's his main equipment." This reminded me of the fact that I had to make my own drum mallets for the group drumming session at the library, and that I taped an old sock to one of them to act as the beater. It's no wonder that it got a lot of laughs when that sock started unravelling in the session!
In many cultures, there are rules about who can play the drum, because of the its use in sacred ceremonies and rituals. In a Lakota community or band, there would usually be someone whose special gift was to make drums for use in ceremonies; this person knew the best time of year to cut down the cottonwood tree, how to correctly shape the drum body, and which skin to use to get the desired sound. There would also be honored members in the community who could strike the drum to call people to a dance or ceremony; this person would know how to strike the drum to convey the information about what specific ceremony or dance was being called. The Lakota word for drum--cancega--means "wooden bucket"; what a down-to-earth term, and right on!
Young Bear and Theisz's conversations, as put down in Standing in the Light, has helped me see how the drum is just a part of an overall mosaic of Lakota traditions and values. I have glimpsed the important role drumming and singing play in keeping the songs and ceremonies, indeed the identity, of the Lakota alive. In reading the thoughts of a respected artist, singer and drummer, and community leader, I hope to call forth other deep meanings in my drumming with groups.
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