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Drums entertain SCSU crowd
 Media Credit: Jessica Tonsfeldt
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The University Program Board presented "American Indian Drumming" Wednesday from 11:30 a.m. - 1p.m. on the Atwood Mall.
Jerry Morgan and Billy Staples, residents of Leech Lake Reservation, were the special guests who played traditional drumming for the SCSU community.
Leech Lake Reservation is located 14 miles east of Bemidji. Both men are of the Ojibwe Indian tribe, the original people of the land.
"We call ourselves 'first nations'," Morgan said.
Currently, there are 10,000 Ojibwes in Minnesota, most of whom live in Duluth and the Twin Cities area.
Morgan also spoke to the audience in between songs to raise awareness of the culture and the art of traditional drum playing.
"If we (Ojibwes) don't support and help each other out, where are we going to be?" Morgan asked the audience.
Morgan also discussed other symbols of the Ojibwe culture, such as the jingle dress that the women wear, which symbolizes the teachings and healing ceremonies of any kind of sickness.
"For a woman to wear a jingle dress, it shows importance," Morgan said. "It shows a great deal of respect and is a high honor."
Morgan then went on to discuss the importance of the drum societies, which is a private ceremony that contains two to four drums along with a feast and a pipe.
Morgan has been playing drums since he was 18 years old, while Staples has been playing since he was 8.
Both men share an appreciation for traditional drumming because it symbolizes a spirit.
According to Morgan, they "make a good team."
"Billy and I each know a variety of songs," Morgan said. "Johnny Smith, a traditional singer from the Twin Cities, once said, 'A person has a capacity of learning 10,000 songs in a lifetime.'"
One thing Morgan and Staples hoped was that audience members learned something from their playing.
"We hope that the audience gained a respect for the Ojibwe cultures," Morgan said.
"It is about understanding what we're all about and that it is the similarities that bring us together, not the differences."
Morgan also said that social drums bring people together to celebrate the peace and harmony within the community instead of the negativity.
"Next time we come back, I would like to bring my nieces so that they can dance for you," Morgan told the audience after the last song was played. "When we (Ojibwe's) dance, we tap our foot down on mother earth for the people."
Overall, the audience response to the drumming performance was a positive one.
"I enjoyed myself," said Joan Carson, resident of Sauk Rapids. "It's relaxing."
The drummers were only two of several performers UPB is bringing to campus this summer.
"With our summer programming, we are always looking at diversity and an educational aspect," said Janice Courtney, assistant director of UPB. "I hoped people gained a knowledge and respect for American Indian drumming."
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