A Tribe Called Mi'kmaq
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Singers: Jonathan Marshall (Drum Keeper), Michael Stephens, Joseph Sylliboy, David Meuse, Kyle McDonald, Rob Gloade, Kris Sylliboy, Dylan Gloade, Garrett Gloade, Lloyd Paul Jij, James Stevens, Kyle Prosper, Julien Wells, Christopher James Pictou, Shelley Young, Manda Larocque
Showerball Jam Back to Nova Scotia Mosaic |
We're a contemporary style powwow drum group that came together in January of 2009. Many of us started singing at a young age and continue to pass teachings onto the youth of our communities today. Our singers hail from all over Mi'kma'ki (Maritime Provinces), including Paq'tnkek, Indian Brook, Eskasoni, Gesgapegiag, and Membertou. The majority of us live on the Millbrook reservation where our drum is also kept. We started singing together because we simply love singing, making and sharing our songs. Many of our songs have contemporary style Mi'kmaw lyrics, and we can also sing Northern and Southern styles as well. We love sharing our songs with everyone, and are very grateful for the opportunity to represent and sing for our people. Our group continues to grow stronger as we employ the pride & honor in our own Mi'kmaq culture. The drum plays a huge role in each of our lives and has opened the door to many practices, customs and traditions that our ancestors have engaged in before us. This is more than just a singing group to us, it is a way of life that must be passed onto our future generations.
Our songs are gifts from the Creator that have come to us through K'ji Niskam (Great Spirit), so each song is essentially a prayer. The goal of our singing is to connect with one beat, one voice and one spirit. The stronger we sing in unison together, the stronger our prayer/song will be. The drum is our Grandfather and teacher. Through the spirit of the drum we are able to learn and develop our abilities as singers. The beat represents the heartbeat of our mother earth and is symbolic of the blessings the earth provides us to survive. We sing for our people, for the blessings of life, we sing for both Creator and creation. These are the teachings of the drum as it has been taught to us, M'sit No'kamaq (All My Relations).