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Safeguarding the heartbeat: Native Americans in Upper Midwest protect their drumming tradition
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Mark Erickson, third from left, leads others in singing on the drum during an open drum and dance night at Minneapolis American Indian Center on Wednesday, July 10, 2024, in Minneapolis, Minn. - photo by AP Photo/Mark Vancleave
HINCKLEY, Minn. (AP) — At summertime social powwows and spiritual ceremonies throughout the Upper Midwest, Native Americans are gathering around singers seated at big, resonant drums to dance, celebrate and connect with their ancestral culture. “I grew up singing my entire life, and I was always taught that dewe’igan is the heartbeat of our people,” said Jakob Wilson, 19, using the Ojibwe term for drum that’s rooted in the words for heart and sound. “The absolute power and feeling that comes off of the drum and the singers around it is incredible.” Wilson has led the drum group at Hinckley-Finlayson High School.