These wonderful sounding hand drums are made by hand from “scratch”. Native people of the Colville Reservation in Washington State make these drums in their traditional manner. The drum’s pine rim is cut and milled on the reservation. The deer and elk are hunted and skinned by tribal members. The hides are processed in a traditional way without chemicals.

Each hand drum is a unique piece of artwork. Each drum face is different. Some drums are a natural brownish (raw hide) color and some are white. The white ones look like a full moon to me.They go through a special process to make them white, which makes them more durable and creates a nice finish for painting your drum.

Each drum has its own sound. Some have a high tone, some  have a medium tone and some are low. Most people like the deeper tone. The tone depends on the weather and the humidity. Dryer air creates a higher tone sound. More humidity causes a lower tone and sometimes too low, sounds like a flat thud.

When you order your drum, please let me know where you live or where and how you will be using your drum. I can select one for you that will work better with your environment. I live in the high desert, so a drum with a high pitch tone here would sound perfect on the coast. However, if it has a low tone here, then it might be too low on the coast or humid areas. If you plan on using it in a Sweat Lodge…you will want the higher tone…it will retain  a good sound longer in the Inipi.

Take care of your drum! To change the tone, if it is flat thud, dry it out with a hairdryer or near a heat source moving it around and rubbing it. Do not let keep it over heat for long periods of time. It can split! If the tone is too high, pour a small amount of water on the inside of the drum and spread it about. Wait a few minuets and test it. On the other hand, you can put a wet towel on it for a few minuets. You can also take it into the bathroom when the shower is running. Do not put it in the shower! 😉

Never leave it in direct sunlight. It will dry out the hide and make it split. Do not leave your drum in a hot car; it will cause the hide to split. If it needs to be stored in a hot place, wrap in a blanket or something to keep it insulated.

 

Drum Beater

Your drum comes with a small drumbeater. I have found that a larger beater with more padding creates a richer tone. I have hand-made drum beaters available for sale for $25 – $35 each.

Drum Bag

You can wrap your drum in a cloth or hide OR I can make a custom design drum bag out of deer, elk or buffalo hide in a variety of colors.