Boom Boom…To Native Americans, the drum is very scared, a drum is present at all ritual or ceremonies, and the whole culture is centered around it. The drum represents the heart beat of mother Earth, and it calls the people of the earth to come and celebrate. When a song is being played, the singers, dancers, and spectators are connected to the spirit, bring balance back to the people. People dance for strength, in prayer, or for people
who are unable to. Native Americans use different dance styles to the beat of the drum and people of different races can come and dance also for certain songs. Without the drum, the people would not be a powwow because it is the center of the whole ritual. Today, traditional songs are still sung, passed down from father to son for centuries. There are many songs that use the beat of the drum, but add verses of English singing, which are not traditional, but are popular among Native people. There are still quite a few
drum groups that have been recorded, and play at powwows of different tribes. Some groups travel from powwow to powwow during the summer months and contest for different prizes. For each group, there is a head singer who is knowledgeable about different songs and had the most experience singing them. He may choose who he wants to sing with him, and those who are not chosen do not sit at the drum. They are the head singer and direct the group is song, starting and leading them through each song. After the head singers lead line, and second singer will take it up, and other members of the group will join in. After these two lines, the dancers start to dance. During verses, loud “Honor Beats” can be heard, and they are times for dancers to honor the drum, and are also the most intense dancing spots.

Now you know a little more about the art of the Native American drumming. Now you can watch an actuall drum ceremony.