Campus Ecologist

Volume 12, Number 2, 1994

The Drum: Improving the Campus Ecology for Native American Students

By Darwin St. Clair

To make change in any environment takes time and commitment from all involved. A traditional Native American tool, the drum, was used to make change among Native American students at Colorado State University. This article will give some history of the drum and its importance to the Native American peoples, the rationale for the use of the drum as an environmental management technique, and the implementation of an environmental change.

The drum has played an important role in the preservation of the Native American culture and in the lives of many Native Americans; male, female, old, and young. Drumming was used to bring people together to socialize, pray, and heal. Today, the drum is still used in the same manner as the ancestors used the drum.

Many singers still sing the traditional songs and incorporate new songs at social and traditional events. Singers have different reasons for singing. One of the main reasons I sing at the drum is to celebrate life and to participate in my culture.

Singers also sing to honor the elders who have Passed on before them. Some have grown up in an environment where this is what the family is known for. It is said "that the drum is the heart beat of mother earth, and for mother earth to survive the drumming and singing must continue." I would like to provide an example of a song that has been translated.

We are really thankful
this dance here
It was given to us
this dance here this dance here is good
good this dance here

Cree/shoshone song
By Brian StandingRock (chippewa/cree)

The Native American Campus Environment

At one time on the Colorado State campus the Native American students were in total disarray with who and what they were to each other. The need for change in the environment was evident. There were a lot of people expressing their dislike for each other as well as for the university. The result of this was that some students decided to leave the university, break off friendships, and bicker with each other. Most involved students had academic problems due to the stress and unhappiness. The student organization split in two with people choosing up sides and not focusing on real issues or conducting business at their organizational meetings. Several of the meetings turned into shouting matches and personal threats. This led to stereotyping tribal differences, with students being cliquish and only socializing with certain native students on campus.

With the foregoing type of interaction among the students, the situation was snowballing into a bigger issue. The question arose how do we mediate the wars and make peace? How can we provide positive social interaction, community building and respect for each other as human beings? What are the students missing culturally? Is there a traditional way to help them? One ofthe traditional ways to build community is by drumming and singing and particpating in the Native ways.

The Drum: A Change Agent

The drum group started in the fall of the next year. It was advertised in the office newsletter. At the first practice, there were only two students and myself at the drum. We practiced a few songs. Even though the practice was short it brought a new sense of self. During the following practices the singers developed new songs to sing and drum. After a month practicing with about four to five singers, we had our first performance. It was at this performance that increased interest arose. Since that time the drum group has had at least eight to twelve singers that sit at the drum and sing and three to five people that sing behind the drum.

Most of the students that sing with the drum had never participated in this type of activity. It was a first time experience for these students of participating in this aspect of their native culture (risk taking). The participants were taught how to sing and were told of the importance of the drum and how respect of each other is needed when playing the drum (openness to each other). The drum has spiritual and healing power, because it comes from the earth, and purification of self should take place before singing at the drum (respect of self and others). With these things in mind, the people came and sung, shared, laughed, and had fun socializing (building community).

Through this tradition of drumming and singing, students have come together. It has provided a safe environment for people to get involved. Singing and participating in native culture has stimulated pride and identity in self and culture. The drum group has been asked to provide music for many different organizations and functions. The group has participated in local powwows and has been invited out of state to sing. The most exciting time is the preparing to go, traveling, and sitting down at the pow-wow to sing. The drumming and singing are ways to help the socialization process for Native American students.

Socialization efforts always bring up the issues of freedom and control. The students were invited to participate on their own free will. The drumming and slinging was seen as a pan-native activity open to all natives. It was an opportunity to learn about native culture. It was put together so people would not feel like they were being put on the"spot", but that people could become more involved and grow. One of the keys to the success of the program was that it followed the traditional native value of providing a safe environment. Both encouragement and respect is asked of the individual who sits at the drum. Individuality is asked of each member because everyone sings at different levels or octaves. The real accomplishment is when all the different sounds come together in a song and people get up to dance. To sing a song tha tmakes people feel good, want to dance, and enjoy themselves is the real accomplishment.

Conclusion

Through this step by step process the drum group emerged. The names have changed which also shows the progress and pride the drum group has developed. The name of the group has moved from "duct tape singers" to "springcreek singers" to "the broken hearts singers. " The songs have also changed. They have gone from borrowed songs to making songs of their own. Drumming and singing, a traditional way, was the key to students who were trying to live in the "merging" of cultures. Perhaps other native ways can be used for solving other problems in the campus ecology.

As Fredrick O. Gearing in the book "The Face of the Fox" said:

One never describes an alien people by naming
what they are not or by naming the material
things a people don't possess or the customs they
don't practice, or the beliefs they don't entertain or
the offices they don't have.

Editor's Note: Darwin St.Clair, a student in my campus ecology course, offered this article in response to a class assignment. Mr. St. Clair is the associate director of the Native American Student Services program at Colorado State.

Native Americans: Background Information

The following information was selected from the 1992 ERIC Document ED348202 "The Current Condition of Native Americans" by Harold Hodgkinson:

Native Americans, originally, were the entire American population. As such, they developed an amazing variety of linguistic and cultural traditions. Today, they represent less than 1% of the U.S. total population, but they represent half of the nation's languages and culture.
Calling the Native people of North America "Indians" perpetuates Columbus' error in thinking he was in East Indies.
In the 1990 census, 1.9 million Americans claimed American Indian status and over 5 million indicated Indian descent.
About 637,000 lived on reservations or trust lands, while over 250,000 lived in cities.
American Indians have a fertility rate about twice that of other Americans, partly because they are, on average, about 7 years younger than the U.S. average.
There has been a major increase in college attendance, indicated by the increase in the numbers of Natives taking the SAT--from 2,662 in 1976 to 18,000 in 1989. Of the 103,000 Natives who were in college in 1990, about half were in two-year colleges and half in four-year colleges.
The states with highest enrollment are California with 21,000 Native Students; Oklahoma with 9,600; Arizona with 8,800 and New Mexico with 4,500.
The Tribal Colleges (24), most of which offer two-year programs, have rapidly increasing enrollments.

RESOURCE ORGANIZATIONS

ERIC/CRESS
Appalachia Educational Laboratory
P.O. Box 1348
Charleston, West Virginia 25325

THE NATIONAL INSTITUTE FOR NATIVE LEADERSHIP IN HIGHER EDUCATION
American Indian Program Office
Old Union Clubhouse, Room 12
Stanford University
Stanford, California 94305-3064

AMERICAN INDIAN SCIENCE & ENGINEERING SOCIETY
1630 30th Street
Boulder, Colorado 80301

WHITE HOUSE CONFERENCE ON INDIAN EDUCATION
The final report of the White House Conference on Indian Education (Executive Summary).
Washington, D.C. (Clearinghouse Accession No. RC 018955)

INDIAN NATIONS AT RISK TASK FORCE Indian Nations at Risk: An educational strategy for action: Washington, D.C. U.S. Department of Education. (ERIC Document ED 339 587).

NATIONAL INDIAN EDUCATION ASSOCIATION
1819 H Street N. W. Suite 800
Washington, D.C. 20006

Resource References: Native Americans and Higher Education

Axelson, J.A. (1985). Counseling and development in a multicultural society. Monterey, CA: Brooks/Cole Publishing Company. (See Chapter Two on Native Americans).

Duthu, N. (1987). The Native American program at Darmouth College: A commitment rediscovered. Winds of Change, 2(3), 28-29.

Hoover, J. & Jacobs, (1992) . A survey of American Indian college students: Perceptions toward their study skills/college life. Journal of American Indian Education, 32 (1), 21-29.

Kirkness, V. & Barnhardt, R. (1991) . First nations and higher education: The four R's -respect, relevance, reciprocity, and responsibility. Journal of American Indian Education, 30(3), 1-15.

Lin, R., LaCounte, D., & Eder, J. (1988). A study of Native American students in a predominantly white college. Journal of American Indian Education, 27(3), 8-15.

Swisher, K. & Hoisch, M. (1992). Dropping out among American Indians and Alaska Natives: A review of studies. Journal of American Indian Education, 31(2), 3-23.

Trimble, J. & Lafromboise, T. (1987). American indians and the counseling process: Culture, adaptation, and style. In P. Pederson, (1987). (Ed.). Hand book of cross-cultural counseling and therapy. Wesport, CN: Greenwood Press.

Wells, R.N. (1989). A survey of American Indian Students. Canton, NY: St. Lawrence University. (ERIC Document Reproduction Service ED 311 778).

Wright, B. (1985). Programming success: Special student services and the American Indian college student. Journal of American Indian Education, 24(1), 1-7.

This material resides on an Indiana State University server and is maintained by Will Barratt.
Please forward any problems and comments to him.