I can't believe that I've facilitated three drum circles at BSU in the last two weeks!
Only 4 people attended the most recent "percussion-based experiential exercise" that was sponsored by the BSU campus wellness group, but even then it was energizing and fun; the drum song was a good one. Because of the low turnout, I decided to do things a bit differently, and only asked a couple of brief "How did that feel?" questions (the What Happened? funneling question). During an informal conversation with a couple of people at the end of the experience, one person told me how it reminded him of his background in dance, and how he would like to get back into dance; so I would say that the circle might have helped them recall that, learn something about himself (the so what?), and apply the learning to his life (the now what?).
I am beginning to learn that the debriefing methods (such as funneling) may be best used in specific circumstances with specific audiences. In the end, it really depends on the purpose of the drum circle you are facilitating. Judging the three most recent experiences, I would say that the more oriented toward fun and stress relief the circle is, the less useful are the debriefing questions. The BSU Women's Hockey team seemed to have a mixed view of the debriefing questions--some said that the experience was too short to really go that deep in questioning, but some said that the questions were useful to think about and discuss. On the other hand, if the exercise were part of a larger experience, perhaps over a few hours or a one-day workshop, I could see the funneling questions having more of an impact on the learning.
At this point in the project, I would say that I've learned a bit about the funneling technique, through applying it in real situations; however, I do want to try out a different debriefing method (such as "Rounds",where participants in a circle each answer a simple question with a word/phrase, number, or by playing on their drum ) in a future circle--perhaps at a conference presentation such as ALA REFORMA, or an Association for Experiential Education conference.
Saturday, February 26, 2011
Saturday, February 19, 2011
Processing the Experience: Traditional Skills Workshop - Drumming (2/17/11)
The Traditional Skills - Drumming workshop was a different group from the hockey team, high energy and great grooves Participants were mostly students (some who had real drum circle experience!), but also a community member, a faculty member, and a few kids; it was neat that people came out to participate on a Thursday night! It was also great to have the help of the Sustainability office staff to promote the session, and to have a staff member there to help out with setup (and to drum as well).
The students really wanted to play, and mid-stream I decided this one would be better served to do some great drumming together, talk a bit about the traditional aspect of drumming, and to teach some basic ethnic rhythms. So, I skipped the debriefing exercises, except by quickly checking in about how the drumming rounds felt.
As far as my continuing goal to improve my drum circle facilitation skills, these two experiences felt like stepping stones to a higher level of familiarity with my own personal style and approach to group drumming. Being prepared for both (by outlining the session) made me more comfortable during the experiences, and more flexible to change in mid-course, because I know my overall goals. Keeping these goals in mind--practicing debriefing exercises and deepening my facilitation skills--helped me integrate the learning and apply it to my life. Who knows, there may be opportunities for repeat sessions.
One area of improvement for next time: I wish that I had prepared more information about the roots of ethnic drumming (from West Africa, etc.), and also brought in more of the research I've done on drumming in American Indian culture. I decided to make this circle more about drumming than teaching or lecturing, but perhaps in the future I could structure it with a bit more interspersed information--though I did provide some information brief tidbits about traditional/indigenous drumming.
Overall, a really fun circle, and good learning experience!
The students really wanted to play, and mid-stream I decided this one would be better served to do some great drumming together, talk a bit about the traditional aspect of drumming, and to teach some basic ethnic rhythms. So, I skipped the debriefing exercises, except by quickly checking in about how the drumming rounds felt.
As far as my continuing goal to improve my drum circle facilitation skills, these two experiences felt like stepping stones to a higher level of familiarity with my own personal style and approach to group drumming. Being prepared for both (by outlining the session) made me more comfortable during the experiences, and more flexible to change in mid-course, because I know my overall goals. Keeping these goals in mind--practicing debriefing exercises and deepening my facilitation skills--helped me integrate the learning and apply it to my life. Who knows, there may be opportunities for repeat sessions.
One area of improvement for next time: I wish that I had prepared more information about the roots of ethnic drumming (from West Africa, etc.), and also brought in more of the research I've done on drumming in American Indian culture. I decided to make this circle more about drumming than teaching or lecturing, but perhaps in the future I could structure it with a bit more interspersed information--though I did provide some information brief tidbits about traditional/indigenous drumming.
Overall, a really fun circle, and good learning experience!
Processing the Experience: BSU Women's Hockey Team (2/16/11)
This was such a great and energizing experience to have, of the three I'm doing this month. The athletes were very attentive and helpful (even helped pack and unpack the drums!), and we all had fun as we went through a drumming ice-breaker and a couple of basic rhythms together. A memory I'll take with me is the smiles on our faces, as we got into some fun grooves.
This experience also gave me a chance to try a structured debriefing of the drumming with a test group. The debriefing questions focused on applying the experience to team work, hockey, and life. It was nice to process the experience with a willing group in a very team-oriented setting. I also got some great feedback at the end (using a quick pencil survey). It gave me much to ponder over
The question on the survey about the utility of the debriefing questions were telling. A good number of participants thought they were only somewhat useful, and that they would rather be playing than talking! (perhaps a difference between aural/oral learners and kinesthetic learners?) Perhaps one-shot circles like this are more about having fun and de-stressing, rather than reflecting? Depending on the group, more or less structured debriefing activities may be appropriate. I will definitely document the survey responses for this project, because they were interesting and helpful.
I was definitely feeling good after this experience....thanks to the BSU Women's Hockey assistant coach for taking a chance on a different team-building activity, and thanks to the athletes for being such good sports!
This experience also gave me a chance to try a structured debriefing of the drumming with a test group. The debriefing questions focused on applying the experience to team work, hockey, and life. It was nice to process the experience with a willing group in a very team-oriented setting. I also got some great feedback at the end (using a quick pencil survey). It gave me much to ponder over
The question on the survey about the utility of the debriefing questions were telling. A good number of participants thought they were only somewhat useful, and that they would rather be playing than talking! (perhaps a difference between aural/oral learners and kinesthetic learners?) Perhaps one-shot circles like this are more about having fun and de-stressing, rather than reflecting? Depending on the group, more or less structured debriefing activities may be appropriate. I will definitely document the survey responses for this project, because they were interesting and helpful.
I was definitely feeling good after this experience....thanks to the BSU Women's Hockey assistant coach for taking a chance on a different team-building activity, and thanks to the athletes for being such good sports!
Sunday, February 13, 2011
BSU Women's Hockey Drum Circle
As I plan for Wednesday's experience with the BSU Women's Hockey team, I found that some of the ideas that I read about in The Essential Elements of Facilitation (by Simon Priest, Michael Gass, and Lee Gillis) were sticking with me. In particular, they focus a chapter on the funneling technique, which is variation on the questions of--What? So What, Now What? These questions can guide participants through the processing of an experiential learning activity.
Here is what I am planning to ask the hockey players after we've gone through a couple of rounds of the group drumming:
⁃ How do you think you sounded together?
⁃ Did anything surprise you?
⁃ What did you learn about your teammates during this experience (if anything, invite comments)
I'm really getting excited to do 2 drum circles this week! The other one is the Traditional Skills Workshop, being sponsored by the BSU Sustainability Office. I'm hoping to get some good feedback about how the debriefing exercise and questions worked (or didn't work).
Here is what I am planning to ask the hockey players after we've gone through a couple of rounds of the group drumming:
- What? (Review and Reflect on Experience)
⁃ How do you think you sounded together?
⁃ Did anything surprise you?
- So What? (Apply and Generalize the learning...what did you learn?)
⁃ What did you learn about your teammates during this experience (if anything, invite comments)
- Now What? (Commit to action or change)
I'm really getting excited to do 2 drum circles this week! The other one is the Traditional Skills Workshop, being sponsored by the BSU Sustainability Office. I'm hoping to get some good feedback about how the debriefing exercise and questions worked (or didn't work).
Luckner and Nadler
I found the Luckner and Nadler text Processing the Experience a good read because they ground their discussion of effective debriefing on the foundational theories of experiential learning. They argue that learning (and all effective learning, they would say, is experiential in nature) takes place in a cycle of Experiencing, Reflecting, Generalizing, and Applying, in a continuous feedback loop.
While reading some of the chapters of the text that seemed to be relevant to this project (much of the book was relevant, because debriefing and processing the experience are pretty much one in the same), I noted with interest the best-practices the authors suggest to guide processing (debriefing) activities after an experience. They suggest
While reading some of the chapters of the text that seemed to be relevant to this project (much of the book was relevant, because debriefing and processing the experience are pretty much one in the same), I noted with interest the best-practices the authors suggest to guide processing (debriefing) activities after an experience. They suggest
- to structure regular periods within an experience for reflection/processing
- to vary the type or method of processing used, so that one does not get stuck in a rut
- to ask open-ended questions of participants (for deeper learning), and to start with simple to more complex questions
- to give specific and relevant feedback; avoid generalities
Saturday, February 5, 2011
Little Drummer Boy
The month of February brings several opportunities to play the "little drummer boy". I'm excited about them because they will each be different, and will challenge me to design the group drumming experiences to enhance some learning objectives, using the debriefing activities that are the focus of my project this semester.
The first one coming up will be open to the public, and will focus more on the drumming as a traditional activity (part of the BSU campus Traditional Skills Workshops series), and so will have more of a general flavor. The second will be specifically for the BSU Women's Hockey team, and will focus on team-building and some stress relief (the last game of the season is the day after the session). The last will be a session for campus faculty and staff, and will be more for wellness and stress relief.
Also, I'm currently reading the experiential learning text book "Processing the Experience: Strategies to Enhance and Generalize Learning" by John Luckner and Reldan Nadler, on which I'll provide more details in a later post.
The first one coming up will be open to the public, and will focus more on the drumming as a traditional activity (part of the BSU campus Traditional Skills Workshops series), and so will have more of a general flavor. The second will be specifically for the BSU Women's Hockey team, and will focus on team-building and some stress relief (the last game of the season is the day after the session). The last will be a session for campus faculty and staff, and will be more for wellness and stress relief.
Also, I'm currently reading the experiential learning text book "Processing the Experience: Strategies to Enhance and Generalize Learning" by John Luckner and Reldan Nadler, on which I'll provide more details in a later post.
Saturday, January 22, 2011
Reading
Sitting on my desk now are several books about facilitation from the organizational development perspective, written by experts in the field (as well as some online readings). One reading from an eBook on facilitation edited by Biech, called "Creatively Debriefing Group Activities" (author: Beaulieu), had a nice summary of the debriefing stage of a facilitated learning activity.
In short, the debriefing stage occurs right after the experiential learning activity, and is intended to help participants understand what happened in the exercise and why it happened. Ideally, they can then apply this knowledge to their organization or work situation. Some of the questions asked at this stage include:
Overall, in the debriefing stage, participants can process what they've been through, and apply the learning in a relevant context, such as their work or life situation.
The article was also interesting because it outlined some inherent challenges of the debriefing stage. Debriefing the activity is usually harder than the activity itself because, according to Beaulieu, it forces participants to speak in public, give spontaneous or unplanned comments, follow a structure that is sometimes only known to the facilitator, and to discuss objectively a situation that they were a subjective participant in. It also is hard sometimes for participants to analyze their own and others behaviors and motivations right after the experiential exercise.
Beaulieu suggests some creative ways to debrief groups, which I would like to follow up on in my own practice. He suggests, first of all, to give people advance time to prepare for debriefing, perhaps by giving people time to read, reflect, or discuss in small groups the questions that will be posed.
One creative way to debrief, which I would like to use, is to use a game-like activity that extends the energy and spontaneity of the original exercise into the debriefing period. For example, I could have participants in a drum circle reflect on the debriefing questions for a minute, and instead of saying out loud their answer, ask them to use the drum or percussion instrument to express their answer or feelings about the experience. Finally, he also suggests moving the focus of debriefing from the facilitator to pairs or small groups, where participants are more likely to "own" their learning, and may feel less constrained to speak about what they experienced.
I'm excited to begin using debriefing techniques in the two drum circles I will be facilitating in February. Drum circle facilitation as a new way of facilitating groups was pioneered by Aurthur Hull, considered the "father of the community drum circle movement", and I am currently reading his textbook on drum circle facilitation--"Drum Circle Facilitation: Building Community Through Rhythm".
In short, the debriefing stage occurs right after the experiential learning activity, and is intended to help participants understand what happened in the exercise and why it happened. Ideally, they can then apply this knowledge to their organization or work situation. Some of the questions asked at this stage include:
- What happened during the activity?
- Why did it happen?
- Does anything like that ever happen in work (at home, in life, etc.)?
- Why does it happen?
- What might you do differently to improve the work (home, life, etc.) situation?
Overall, in the debriefing stage, participants can process what they've been through, and apply the learning in a relevant context, such as their work or life situation.
The article was also interesting because it outlined some inherent challenges of the debriefing stage. Debriefing the activity is usually harder than the activity itself because, according to Beaulieu, it forces participants to speak in public, give spontaneous or unplanned comments, follow a structure that is sometimes only known to the facilitator, and to discuss objectively a situation that they were a subjective participant in. It also is hard sometimes for participants to analyze their own and others behaviors and motivations right after the experiential exercise.
Beaulieu suggests some creative ways to debrief groups, which I would like to follow up on in my own practice. He suggests, first of all, to give people advance time to prepare for debriefing, perhaps by giving people time to read, reflect, or discuss in small groups the questions that will be posed.
One creative way to debrief, which I would like to use, is to use a game-like activity that extends the energy and spontaneity of the original exercise into the debriefing period. For example, I could have participants in a drum circle reflect on the debriefing questions for a minute, and instead of saying out loud their answer, ask them to use the drum or percussion instrument to express their answer or feelings about the experience. Finally, he also suggests moving the focus of debriefing from the facilitator to pairs or small groups, where participants are more likely to "own" their learning, and may feel less constrained to speak about what they experienced.
I'm excited to begin using debriefing techniques in the two drum circles I will be facilitating in February. Drum circle facilitation as a new way of facilitating groups was pioneered by Aurthur Hull, considered the "father of the community drum circle movement", and I am currently reading his textbook on drum circle facilitation--"Drum Circle Facilitation: Building Community Through Rhythm".
Sunday, January 16, 2011
Reviving the Blog
The act of revisiting this blog has a special sense at this time in mid-January, during a cold and snowy northern Minnesota winter. The sun is slowly and surely lengthening the days as this month goes on. That means it is time to return to the Circle, and pick up some threads that were left over from a previous project in which I explored teambuilding methods, including group drumming, for organizational development. This time around, the thread I want to focus on is how to use debriefing methods to process the experience of a facilitated "percussion-based experiential exercise", to borrow a term from my colleague Keith Russell from the University of Kansas.
Here's a taste of what this semester's project will be "all about":
My research questions are: What are some best practices skilled facilitators use to debrief experiential exercises? What is the funneling facilitation technique? What is it used for, and why?
Which debriefing techniques are most effective in percussion-based experiential exercises (group drumming), and why?
And my learning outcomes: 1) to learn more about debriefing techniques (such as funneling) used in group facilitation. 2) To more effectively facilitate group learning with debriefing methods, and to evaluate their use in percussion-based experiential exercises (group drumming)
As I planned out my project calendar and envisioned how the next few months would go, I got an excited feeling, as well as a lessened feeling of anxiety--funny how filling out a calendar can help you settle into a better mental space. I can see that the pieces of the puzzle should hopefully fall into place to have a successful "journey". I'm already slated to do a percussion-based exercise for a "Traditional Skills Workshop" next month (sponsored by my workplace, Bemidji State University's, Office of Sustainability), and have a couple of other drum circle opportunities in the works. I hope that the synergy between this project and the drum circles continues to build. I am excited about what the next few months will bring!
Here's a taste of what this semester's project will be "all about":
My research questions are: What are some best practices skilled facilitators use to debrief experiential exercises? What is the funneling facilitation technique? What is it used for, and why?
Which debriefing techniques are most effective in percussion-based experiential exercises (group drumming), and why?
And my learning outcomes: 1) to learn more about debriefing techniques (such as funneling) used in group facilitation. 2) To more effectively facilitate group learning with debriefing methods, and to evaluate their use in percussion-based experiential exercises (group drumming)
As I planned out my project calendar and envisioned how the next few months would go, I got an excited feeling, as well as a lessened feeling of anxiety--funny how filling out a calendar can help you settle into a better mental space. I can see that the pieces of the puzzle should hopefully fall into place to have a successful "journey". I'm already slated to do a percussion-based exercise for a "Traditional Skills Workshop" next month (sponsored by my workplace, Bemidji State University's, Office of Sustainability), and have a couple of other drum circle opportunities in the works. I hope that the synergy between this project and the drum circles continues to build. I am excited about what the next few months will bring!
Wednesday, June 10, 2009
Ceremonial Approaches to Teaching Lakota Culture Workshop, June 1- 5
(I recently attended a week-long workshop for educators on Lakota culture. Here's an excerpt from a reflection paper I wrote after the experience).
Looking back over my notes and experiences at the workshop, I see that I came away with a lot of new knowledge, and I think I’ll be chewing over what I learned for some time to come. Over the five days that we five strangers stayed at WingSprings (the conference facility near the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation), camping in tipis in a shortgrass prairie landscape, we learned much and shared a bit of ourselves in the process. I think I also learned more about myself during this workshop than at any other I’ve participated in recent memory.
One of the main “learnings” I came away with was how the ceremonies, rituals, and traditional religion serve to inspire and anchor Lakota people in their unique “cultural memory”, of what it means to be Lakota. Coming from the dominant white society, you don’t often get the chance to see the effects of colonialism first hand, right here in North America; visiting the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation puts those things into focus. Actually participating in a sweat lodge ceremony, or inipi, on the second day, was much different (and much more meaningful) than just reading or watching a program about it. Even though we did not get to witness the Lakota Sun Dance ceremony, ceremonies that take place throughout the summer in “Indian Country”, and which are lynchpins in Lakota religious life, we did learn from experts in the community (Jerry and Theresa Lessert, Charlie White Buffalo) who are involved in running these sacred ceremonies. Through this experience in the field I felt viscerally the importance of the Lakota religious ceremonies.
We also learned (and read a good deal in the course packet) about the gods and goddesses, the story of the creation of the universe, and important stories of how the Lakota came onto the world, and how they received the sacred pipe from White Buffalo Calf Woman. It was also interesting to learn about Lakota kinship relations and their power to define Lakota identity and society. We even learned some of the language, greeting one another each day in Lakota, and using Lakota terms of address (such as “cousin” or “aunt”, for instance). All in all, I came away with a greater appreciation for ceremonies, rituals, and religion, as well as a desire to learn more, and hopefully share some of what I have learned with the broader, white/mainstream society.
There was also a good amount of cross-cultural dialogue among the participants and the workshop leaders. For my part, I tended to listen more than speak; in the future, I think I will be able to speak more confidently on this topic, knowing what I know now from this workshop. There were times when the fact that some of us were “outsiders” to Lakota culture (one of the participants was Lakota, the other four, myself included, where of European ancestry as far as I knew) came into play. It was good to notice that tension, but to not let it sidetrack the learning environment. Many of us may have had to deal with the sense of “white guilt” in our own ways during the workshop. However, the attitude engendered by the workshop facilitator was always about thinking critically, but dispassionately, about the issues, and also honoring that the fact that we all come from different places and have different perspectives to share.
Developing a lesson plan to teach a ceremonial aspect of Lakota culture was both interesting and challenging. The facilitator of the curriculum portion, a school principal and curriculum coordinator for a reservation school district, explained some of the cultural background that would help us understand Lakota students, such as reading body language, and the fact that the etiquette for socializing (for instance, with parents), as well as humor, are different than white mainstream culture. While I had glimpsed snatches of the ideas of “Indian Time” and “Indian Humor” through reading books and attending pow-wows, it was really good to get this information from an expert, and to witness it firsthand with our presenters...
Finally, I’m challenged by a question that this workshop brings up: how will I incorporate this information, knowledge, and experience into my practice as a librarian and educator? As a librarian, how can I teach about Lakota culture? My hope for the lesson plan is to do a small group presentation for students, possibly alongside a HealthRhythms group drumming session at a residence hall event, in the next academic year. It will be a challenge to integrate this information into my professional life, but I also see it as an opportunity to stretch my skills and move into different areas.
In a way, learning about Lakota culture and ceremony helped me learn about myself, and my desire to understand, interact, and work with people from other cultures (especially Lakota). The fact that a colonized people--right here in the Midwest and the Great Plains--have retained their sense of identity, and are still struggling to create and maintain that identity in the face of obstacles (like poverty and racism) is inspiring to me, and makes me want to continue down this path, in some way.
Looking back over my notes and experiences at the workshop, I see that I came away with a lot of new knowledge, and I think I’ll be chewing over what I learned for some time to come. Over the five days that we five strangers stayed at WingSprings (the conference facility near the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation), camping in tipis in a shortgrass prairie landscape, we learned much and shared a bit of ourselves in the process. I think I also learned more about myself during this workshop than at any other I’ve participated in recent memory.
One of the main “learnings” I came away with was how the ceremonies, rituals, and traditional religion serve to inspire and anchor Lakota people in their unique “cultural memory”, of what it means to be Lakota. Coming from the dominant white society, you don’t often get the chance to see the effects of colonialism first hand, right here in North America; visiting the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation puts those things into focus. Actually participating in a sweat lodge ceremony, or inipi, on the second day, was much different (and much more meaningful) than just reading or watching a program about it. Even though we did not get to witness the Lakota Sun Dance ceremony, ceremonies that take place throughout the summer in “Indian Country”, and which are lynchpins in Lakota religious life, we did learn from experts in the community (Jerry and Theresa Lessert, Charlie White Buffalo) who are involved in running these sacred ceremonies. Through this experience in the field I felt viscerally the importance of the Lakota religious ceremonies.
We also learned (and read a good deal in the course packet) about the gods and goddesses, the story of the creation of the universe, and important stories of how the Lakota came onto the world, and how they received the sacred pipe from White Buffalo Calf Woman. It was also interesting to learn about Lakota kinship relations and their power to define Lakota identity and society. We even learned some of the language, greeting one another each day in Lakota, and using Lakota terms of address (such as “cousin” or “aunt”, for instance). All in all, I came away with a greater appreciation for ceremonies, rituals, and religion, as well as a desire to learn more, and hopefully share some of what I have learned with the broader, white/mainstream society.
There was also a good amount of cross-cultural dialogue among the participants and the workshop leaders. For my part, I tended to listen more than speak; in the future, I think I will be able to speak more confidently on this topic, knowing what I know now from this workshop. There were times when the fact that some of us were “outsiders” to Lakota culture (one of the participants was Lakota, the other four, myself included, where of European ancestry as far as I knew) came into play. It was good to notice that tension, but to not let it sidetrack the learning environment. Many of us may have had to deal with the sense of “white guilt” in our own ways during the workshop. However, the attitude engendered by the workshop facilitator was always about thinking critically, but dispassionately, about the issues, and also honoring that the fact that we all come from different places and have different perspectives to share.
Developing a lesson plan to teach a ceremonial aspect of Lakota culture was both interesting and challenging. The facilitator of the curriculum portion, a school principal and curriculum coordinator for a reservation school district, explained some of the cultural background that would help us understand Lakota students, such as reading body language, and the fact that the etiquette for socializing (for instance, with parents), as well as humor, are different than white mainstream culture. While I had glimpsed snatches of the ideas of “Indian Time” and “Indian Humor” through reading books and attending pow-wows, it was really good to get this information from an expert, and to witness it firsthand with our presenters...
Finally, I’m challenged by a question that this workshop brings up: how will I incorporate this information, knowledge, and experience into my practice as a librarian and educator? As a librarian, how can I teach about Lakota culture? My hope for the lesson plan is to do a small group presentation for students, possibly alongside a HealthRhythms group drumming session at a residence hall event, in the next academic year. It will be a challenge to integrate this information into my professional life, but I also see it as an opportunity to stretch my skills and move into different areas.
In a way, learning about Lakota culture and ceremony helped me learn about myself, and my desire to understand, interact, and work with people from other cultures (especially Lakota). The fact that a colonized people--right here in the Midwest and the Great Plains--have retained their sense of identity, and are still struggling to create and maintain that identity in the face of obstacles (like poverty and racism) is inspiring to me, and makes me want to continue down this path, in some way.
Thursday, April 23, 2009
Spring Update
Things have been quite busy lately; the work of the school year is coming to a close very soon, and my research into Lakota and native drumming is also coming to a close. It feels like lots of things are in a state of transition (some trees are starting to sprout green leaves from their buds), including this project. The change of seasons reminds me of the natural rhythm of life, of time, and transition.
So, first things first. I will be going to my third pow-wow in the past year this weekend, a joint MSU-Mankato/Gustavus Adolphus College sponsored event. Along the lines of the the pow-wow, and native drumming, and Lakota cutlure, I am looking very forward to attending a week-long workshop for educators on Lakota culture, in Martin, SD. It is hosted and taught by a scholar and South Dakota resident, Craig Howe (Oglala). This will be a great chance for me to deepen my understanding of Lakota culture, and to experience it first-hand, as there will be a visit to the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation. The topic of the workshop is Ceremony--so, obviously, I am thrilled about it. I've even scoped out some reading material on Lakota culture while at the great Minneapolis bookshop Birchbark Books, owned by the writer Louise Erdrich (who is Ojibwe).
The focus of this project was also to continue to deepen my skills with the HealthRhythms group drumming protocol. Through the great help of a librarian colleague, who hosted a potluck gathering and group drumming session, I was able to do another session, and feel more comfortable leading a group through an experiential exercise.
It was a good group; some had been to drum circles before, but none had been to a facilitated session. There was a wide range of ages, from kids to adults. Overall, the feedback I got from the debriefing session was good; there was the "good feeling" afterwards of drumming together, even though most people had not met each other before. It was a privilege to be there.
Looking ahead, I see more transition...moving back to Mankato, reuniting with my wife and family (cat, lizard, and fish), job uncertainty on the horizon, experiences to deepen my appreciation for Lakota culture, ceremony, and the drum.
So, first things first. I will be going to my third pow-wow in the past year this weekend, a joint MSU-Mankato/Gustavus Adolphus College sponsored event. Along the lines of the the pow-wow, and native drumming, and Lakota cutlure, I am looking very forward to attending a week-long workshop for educators on Lakota culture, in Martin, SD. It is hosted and taught by a scholar and South Dakota resident, Craig Howe (Oglala). This will be a great chance for me to deepen my understanding of Lakota culture, and to experience it first-hand, as there will be a visit to the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation. The topic of the workshop is Ceremony--so, obviously, I am thrilled about it. I've even scoped out some reading material on Lakota culture while at the great Minneapolis bookshop Birchbark Books, owned by the writer Louise Erdrich (who is Ojibwe).
The focus of this project was also to continue to deepen my skills with the HealthRhythms group drumming protocol. Through the great help of a librarian colleague, who hosted a potluck gathering and group drumming session, I was able to do another session, and feel more comfortable leading a group through an experiential exercise.
It was a good group; some had been to drum circles before, but none had been to a facilitated session. There was a wide range of ages, from kids to adults. Overall, the feedback I got from the debriefing session was good; there was the "good feeling" afterwards of drumming together, even though most people had not met each other before. It was a privilege to be there.
Looking ahead, I see more transition...moving back to Mankato, reuniting with my wife and family (cat, lizard, and fish), job uncertainty on the horizon, experiences to deepen my appreciation for Lakota culture, ceremony, and the drum.
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