The drum holds a special place in First Nation culture and now residents in Squamish can experience a part of that rich history by learning to create a native drum.
Local Squamish Nation member Alice Guss leads a drum-making workshop at Totem Hall on Sunday, Sept. 12 and is inviting residents to spend the afternoon putting together their very own piece of native culture.
"It will be a great experience," Guss said. "I hope to see some new faces and have a lot of fun."
Guss said it ordinarily takes about an hour to complete the workshop.
"We usually start off by singing a song and then passing the feather around to everyone in the group so they can introduce themselves," said Guss.
"It's really interesting to find out where they come from. I encourage people in the circle to share any feelings they may have before we begin building to make them feel more welcome."
From there, Guss brings the group step by step through the creation of the musical instrument. All the materials are provided including the frame, deer hide and sinew to tie it all together.
"It's more or less weaving the sinew to tighten the hide on the frame," she said.
"While we do that, we thank the deer for the hide and thank the tree for the frame. By making the drum, we are keeping them alive, and every time we hit the drum it is the heartbeat of all the materials used to make it."
Guss, the great-great-granddaughter of former 小蓝视频 Joe Capilano, has been running these workshops for 15 years and says it's rewarding to see how much people enjoy making the drums.
"I remember when I was working in Vancouver as a counsellor and working with natives in the city," she said.
"Taking them to this workshop really made them feel good. We actually had all sorts of people who took part in the Vancouver workshops and the great thing is that everyone is equal in the circle. We all work together and it's really positive."
A typical class will have up to 20 participants and Guss said five people have already signed up for the workshop in Squamish.
Her teaching technique seems to appeal to her students since she often gets repeat workshop attendees making a drum for friends or family.
The drum-making workshop takes place at Totem Hall Sunday, Sept. 12 at 2 p.m. The cost to register is $125. To register, contact Guss at 604-897-1421 or reach her via e-mail at [email protected].
