Algonquin College’s Indigenous ceremonial drums come alive

The Drums are awake.

In an event Thursday at the Mamidosewin Centre in the Student Commons, Indigenous Elders conducted a ceremony to “awaken” two of the three ceremonial drums recently made for Algonquin College.

“These are beautiful drums, and you are responsible for taking care of them,” said Thomas Louttit, an Elder from Moose Factory First Nation in northern Ontario, told the close to 50 people who gathered to witness the ritual.

Dave Hookimaw, a drum carrier and Elder from the Attawapiskat First Nation near James Bay, echoed the sentiment, explained the meaning, purpose, and importance of the drums. “These drums have the spirit of the woods, and the animals that gave up their lives for them. You have to show care for your drums.”

The drums are the product of a collaborative project entitled 3 Drums, 3 Campuses conceived last year by Andre O’Bonsawin, the College’s Manager of Indigenous Initiatives, and Jason Verboomen, a professor in the Applied Science and Environmental Technology department.

Their intent was to get Indigenous and non-Indigenous students to work together to make a drum for each of Algonquin’s three campuses in Ottawa, Perth, and Pembroke, all to reinforce the College’s commitment to Truth and Reconciliation between Canada’s Indigenous population and the wider Canadian populace.

“In order to play the drum, you have to awaken the drum,” O’Bonsawin said Thursday. “For many Indigenous people, the drum is the heartbeat of Mother Earth, and the reason we did this project is to have the heartbeat of all three campuses beating together.”

The drums, which are made of traditional materials of wood and animal hide – buffalo for Ottawa’s drum and moose for Perth and Pembroke – were constructed separately in March under the guidance of veteran Indigenous drum-makes and drum-keepers. Thursday’s ceremony involved the awaking of the Perth and Ottawa drums. Pembroke’s had been conducted previously.

O’Bonsawin said he expects to see the drums used for the official opening of the DARE District on May 3, as well as during Convocation ceremonies on the three campuses in June.