By: Emily Genco
Curb staffer Emily Genco traveled to the College of Menominee Nation in Keshena to observe Menominee hand drumming and singing. At the Shawano Miles of Art Festival, Shane Webster and Cheequascum Thunder, contestants in the hand drumming and singing competition, share what the music means to them.
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=whXEHp7wkqk]
Voiceover: For the Menominee people, drumming is a form of celebration. It is a form of prayer. It is a sacred connection to nature. Drumming is the heartbeat of the Menominee Nation.
Cheequascum: Everything around here, we believe—all these trees, rocks, things like this—everything like that has a living thing in it. We try to honor that. We believe they have a spirit that can help us as Native American people. And, as Native American people that’s why we were put here: to take care of Mother Earth.
Shane: When we hit the drum, it gets the attention of everything: everybody, everything, all the animals. It gets the attention of that when you hit the drum. Then we start singing. It draws more attention. So what it does is it brings the community together as a whole. Because you can be a single person in your community and be fine, but when you come together as a whole, a community as one, then you can’t be stopped.
VO: The Menominee play on a water drum covered with otter hide, the social and the hand drum. They drum at powwows, religious ceremonies and social gatherings. Some also drum on the regional concert circuit.
Cheequascum: I was raised drumming all my life. I grew up pretty much singing. I laugh about it—me and my brothers—we talk about, ‘We come out the womb singing. We wasn’t [sic] cryin.’ We come out singin.’
Shane: When I hit the drum it scares away all the bad things that I’m thinking, all the feelings I’m feeling. When I sing, I feel no pain. I feel no stress. No pain like I said. No anguish. No anger. I’m free.
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