When I applied for the Bush fellowship,one of my main goals was to take an unorganized array of thoughts, ideas, experiences and knowledge and assemble them in a manner that I could pass them on to the next generation of leaders.My fellowship entails finishing a social studies degree, and studying drum therapy as a means of culturally assisting and promoting healthy lifestyles. As I am halfway through my fellowship two things stand out for me at this point in time. One, I am finding it harder than I thought to reinvent myself and find a new definition of leadership as I move forward. The other is how something like Native American culture can become so complex when approached from a research perspective.
Trajectory was a word that really grabbed my attention as part of my application. In response, I talked about the life cycle from adult to elder, and how we have a duty to pass on what knowledge we have acquired throughout life to the next generation.There are oral teachings that have been passed down from generation to generation, but now that native languages are hanging by a thread and everyday life is somehow tied to technology and the worldwide web, this becomes seemingly more difficult. The other option is documenting, writing, and using means other than oral traditions to preserve culture, and to impact on a greater level. I decided to improve upon my writing skills, and hopefully one day write books, and journals. Juggling, job, school, and a fellowship project has been challenging but also very rewarding. My fellowship entails all three. My ultimate goal is to establish drumming as a positive culturally based tool that promotes healthy lifestyles in my community, and hopefully others as well. I am surprised by how much research has already been done around the world on this particular subject. It has been fascinating discovering what is already out there, and how I may be able to learn more about it. As a former tribal leader, some of my vision for the future was directly tied to my time in office. A drum program was one of the things I had hoped to see to fruition but I just didn't have the time to focus on it.
After leaving the office of Tribal Chairman I went through a period of having lost my role in the community. Because I had invested so much serving others for over a decade it became hard to adjust again to improving my own situation. Trying to reinvent myself has been a challenge. Part of me says to turn the page, and move on to the next chapter in life while yet another piece tells me that there is more to accomplish before I settle in as teacher and elder. I think of a boxer who cannot accept the fact that he has lost his agility, power, and speed so he goes back for one more beating before finally realizing that it is time to unlace the gloves and become a trainer or a coach. Although some might beg to differ, comparing combat sports to tribal politics is not a fair analogy. The good definitely outweighs the bad. I was watching the sports channel ESPN where two analyst where debating about aging athletes who hang around to long, and those who ride off into the sunset to enjoy the rest of their lives while they still have their health and faculties. " Father time is the undisputed, undefeated champion of the universe!", one analyst shouted. Eventually we all must undo the laces and hang up the gloves and shoes. The only question is when?
In the year 2001 I took a political science class at Bemidji State University. I met a man there that was in the same public administration class as me. Together we had many a discussion about northern Minnesota and how we felt the quality of life could be better. We even shared some ideas on how we would make some of those changes if we were ever in a position to do so someday. Four years later as Mayor of Bemidji he would hand me, the Tribal Chairman of Red lake the key to the city. About two years ago I saw him at a local hardware store and we swapped war stories about leadership and governance during our time in office. He told me that although he had been out of office for a few years, he would still field calls from former constituents, and have conversations on the street with people concerned about the state of the city that he once governed. He hinted at the possibility of throwing his hat in the ring and running for public office again. He filed for Mayor last year and was defeated by the incumbent candidate. Turning the page from past leadership roles and reinventing a new one can be difficult, especially if one has grown accustomed to leading in a specific way. This has grown more apparent as I move through the Bush fellowship.
Being a Native American drummer, I figured that researching drum therapy wouldn't be too taxing as I have some background singing on the drum, and I am thirty three years into my recovery from drugs, and alcohol. So far my research has been like peeling an onion. Every door I open leads to another door and sometimes I get pulled away from the focus I began with. I am discovering just how much I have to learn about the drum and it's uses. Several years ago I worked for the Red Lake school district as a Counselor in the High school. One of the main complaints I would hear from students, and parents was the lack of language, and culture available to students. The parents expressed their concerns to the school board as well but little improvements were made in this area. One of the school board members explained that because it was a state run school, culture and native languages were not educational priorities but the district would try to incorporate cultural content where it could. They even hired two language and culture teachers but in the next budget cycle they were laid off because the district had other needs. Culturally based programming seems to hit the cutting room floor on a consistent basis when budget time comes around. Even in Indian country subjects like historical trauma, and culturally based therapies lack legitimacy because they are not evidence based, or based in scientific research. Outcomes are hard to measure so some of these practices are dismissed as myth.
Melding oral history and modern approaches to research has proven tricky and surprisingly challenging. Some topics are considered off limits to recording or documentation. Also, over time culture and tradition has become diluted as hundreds of North American tribes and Canadian First Nations have interacted, intermarried, and borrowed each other's customs and songs. Pan Indianism is a philosophy adopted by some North American Indians who believe that in order for native peoples to survive it is crucial that they become accepting of one another's. cultures, ceremonies, and traditions. In some cases the mixing of customs creates a contemporary boiler plate that becomes the norm and is no longer unique to any one tribe of origin. Nowhere is this effect more apparent than in pow wow singing and dancing. The jingle dress originated with the Ojibwe Indians(Chippewa). It is considered a sacred medicine dress that has a special meaning and ceremonial purpose that goes with it. It is held in high regard in Ojibwe communities and renowned for it's healing power. The story of the dress is based on an actual occurrence in the early 1900s and is shared in most Ojibwe tribes and first nations. The story tells of a young girl that had fallen gravely ill and the family was at a loss as to how to save her life. One night her father had a dream in which he saw four women dancing in dresses adorned with cone shaped objects hanging from them. The cones made a distinct jingling sound as the women danced in unison. They moved in a deliberate fashion as to intentionally omit sound from the objects fastened to the dresses. Upon awakening the father shared his dream that he interpreted as a sign from the creator to several women and instructed them to make a similar dress for the little girl. Upon completing the dress the women put it on the little and began to dance, simulating the movements described in the dream. Before too long the girl awoke and was helped to her feet. The women assisted her as they walked her around in the dress. Eventually she grew strong enough where she could dance. She continued to do so until after a few days she recovered fully. It is because of this occurrence that the legacy of the sacred healing jingle dress was born and still exists today.
In present times, throughout Indian country, one will be hard pressed to find a social dance,(pow wow) without jingle dress dancers present. Some gatherings even have a jingle dance category where dancers compete against one another for prize money.Their dresses are decorated with colorful ribbons and beadwork. Some even carry eagle feather fans, or wear plumes in their hair. This contemporary style of jingle dress employs fancy footwork such as leg kicking, and swirling circular movements that are far removed from the traditional old style dancing. Many of the dancers are not even Ojibwe. They come from all corners of North America, and represent many different tribes. They have adopted the jingle dress, and proudly express themselves through the jingle dress. Contrast this with many Ojibwe communities where the jingle dress and it's original style is strictly upheld. The dance is held in such high regard that many Ojibwe women see contemporary versions of this sacred dance as almost blasphemous. They believe that because of the spiritual significance of the jingle dress, one should not deviate from traditional customs. Although the dresses worn at more traditional gatherings are no less beautiful and the dance itself is captivating and powerful, abscent are the fancy leg kicks and the spinning of contemporary styles. The deliberate movements by the jingle dress dancers of the original style emphasizes the sound of the jingles and the healing power of the dress as it radiates from the women in a syncopated sound that when accompanied by the beat of the drum makes for a powerful experience.
When researching drumming and it's healing properties I found a few websites with resources ranging from social, and therapeutic to physiological uses throughout history and current times. The drum is a healer that has many benefits wehen used by Native Americans as a means of overcoming a variety of disorders. It also has deep spiritual significance. Some tribes, including the Ojibwe refer to it as the "heartbeat of the people." Globally, people have utilized drumming for thousands of years as a means of strengthening mind, body and spirit. It contributes to overall wellness, clears the mind, brightens the mood, and had has physical health benefits as well. These are some bold claims that have been passed down for centuries around the globe through oral and cultural teachings. So how is such a thing measured, and how can the drum and it's benefits be utilized to heal and enhance holistic health? What stands out to me is how something seemingly so simple can become so complex in the context of modern clinical practices.
Daniel Dickerson is an Addiction Psychologist who is conducting scientific research on drum assisted recovery therapy at the University of California Los Angeles(UCLA).His research has centered on the effect drumming has on the brain functions and the mitigation of neuro transmitters. His hope is that by proving the positive effects of drumming on the brain, culturally based therapies will be accepted in mainstream society as a method of improving brain function and enhancing recovery in people suffering from substance use disorders. The impetus for Dickerson's research is the fact that in most mental health and substance abuse fields, science and evidence based research models are required to secure grants and funding. Native American culturally based practices typically do not fit that mold. Government agencies such as the Indian Health Service, the department of Health and Human Services, and the Department of Justice all require evidence based programming in order to meet their funding requirements.
After attending a music seminar in Seattle, Washington, Dickerson was intrigued by what he experienced there. The seminar was conducted by Barry Bittman M.D.,a neurologist and founder of the Mind, Body, Wellness Center in Meadville, Pennsylvania. Bittman also founded and directs a therapeutic music and medicine program called "Heart Rhythms." Although the seminar had nothing to do with native peoples, it did acknowledge the global history of drumming and how it has been used to enhance overall health for centuries. The focus of the seminar was on group drumming which was being utilized by new age groups and fortune 500 companies to boost efficiency in employees. According to Dickerson, participants were asked to pick up a drum of which several were placed throughout the room. At first there was a tentative uneasiness in doing so but soon the room was filled with a loud chaotic smattering of noise as participants pounded away on their hand held drums. Not long after, the group began to settle into a syncopated rhythm. Dickerson stated that all of this occurred within a few short minutes, and the transformation from a timid and hesitant group to a room full of laughing and smiling people was amazing. His observations confirmed what he had suspected. The effect that drumming had on the moods of the people was almost immediately noticeable, and this led him to believe that there was a direct correlation between the power of music and the brain. Also, if used in a culturally therapeutic context it could possibly assist in the recovery from substance use disorders. Because there is also a spiritual component to native drumming, it would serve multiple purposes in culturally based treatment programming. According to Bittman, his research has shown that music boosts the immune system, accelerates healing in patients with a variety of illnesses, injuries, and disorders, plus it stimulates brain activity. Through clinical trials in his health rhythms program, Bitman documented an increase in natural killer cell activity, and a reduction in stress hormones among his patients. He maintains that although not a cure, drumming has proven to reduce, and in some instances reverse the adverse effects of cancer, stress, depression, Alzheimers, Parkinsons, and chronic pain. His research has been published in professional and medical journals.Bittman states that "drumming tunes our biology, orchestrates our immunity, and enables healing to begin."
As I reach the halfway point of my Bush fellowship experience, I find that I must stay focused on what I set out to accomplish. There have definitely been surprises along the way but I have learned a lot and the experience so far has been good.