×

First Peoples

Drums celebrate culture at Tech

Ben Garbacz/Daily Mining Gazette Four Thunders, one of the Drum Circles who offered prayers to the Creator in observance of Indigenous Peoples Day Monday on Walker Lawn on the Michigan Tech campus.

HOUGHTON — The Biskaabiiyaang Collective at Michigan Tech hosted a drum social out on the Walker lawn Monday to celebrate Indigenous Peoples Day. Two Drum Circles — Summer Cloud and Four Thunders, from the Keweenaw Bay Indian Community, were invited to share their cultures through drums and songs songs of prayer in the Ojibwa language (Anishinaabemowin). While the drums played, dancers in jingle dress regalia circled around the groups while others joined in song.

The songs were prayers to the Creator, more specifically songs of strength and honesty for people in need and those who are grieving according to Jerry Curtis of Four Thunders. He explained sometimes songs are celebratory, and the songs are determined by the situation and the needs of each day. “To me it would be more celebratory for what we are as a people,” Curtis said.

The songs have been passed down for generations and the groups preserve and honor the tradition through song.

“We’re keeping those old songs alive, what they’re meant to be for, and hoping that the younger ones will keep keep that going, as we did,” Curtis said. “We were their age once, and the elders had us and they said, ‘Come on, you guys need to learn this.'”

Curtis has family in Four Thunders and pointed out one of the members joined after graduating high school. While getting younger generations invested in their culture is important, Curtis also believes there needs to be furthering of education of Indigenous Peoples and of Christopher Columbus.

“Put it in the curriculum in schools for one. Get rid of that Columbus Day mentality. That’s the falsification from the get-go. Everything that entitles Columbus, that encircles it, that’s all false. We want to bring awareness of what this truly is. Columbus didn’t discover us — he was lost. He just happened upon the shores, and we were there. I mean if we were Border Patrol, he wouldn’t have been on shore,” Curtis said.

Curtis shared if anyone is interested in learning more about their cultures or traditions wants to learn more, bring tobacco to one of the drummers.

“The practice has been offering a pinch of tobacco if you’re seeking knowledge or questions on something,” he said.

Starting at $3.50/week.

Subscribe Today