A Drumkeeper is a common name for someone in an

Indigenous Indigenous may refer to: *Indigenous peoples *Indigenous (ecology), presence in a region as the result of only natural processes, with no human intervention *Indigenous (band), an American blues-rock band *Indigenous (horse), a Hong Kong racehorse ...

community who has inherited a traditional sacred drum and the right to play it in ceremony, or been instructed by their Elders in how to make and play one in order to fulfill this role. These ceremonial drums can include water drums, hand drums, and larger drums used during ceremonies such as

Sun Dance The Sun Dance is a ceremony practiced by some Native Americans in the United States and Indigenous peoples in Canada, primarily those of the Plains cultures. It usually involves the community gathering together to pray for healing. Individuals ...

s and sweatlodges. In

Anishinaabe The Anishinaabeg (adjectival: Anishinaabe) are a group of culturally related Indigenous peoples present in the Great Lakes region of Canada and the United States. They include the Ojibwe (including Saulteaux and Oji-Cree), Odawa, Potawatomi, ...

ceremonial communities, the water drum may be passed down from one generation to the next. Only a few elders keep these drums, and they are only used for important ceremonies. In

Osage The Osage Nation, a Native American tribe in the United States, is the source of most other terms containing the word "osage". Osage can also refer to: * Osage language, a Dhaegin language traditionally spoken by the Osage Nation * Osage (Unicode b ...

culture, a drumkeeper may be chosen every few years. This is traditionally done during the four-day I'N-Lon-Schka ceremonial dance in June.

References

{{Anishinaabe Religious occupations of the Indigenous peoples of North America Ojibwe culture Anishinaabe culture