Some 15 secondary school students from Sudbury’s École secondaire du Sacré-Cœur and Collège Notre-Dame took part in a birthing ceremony of traditional Native drums on April 8 at Sacré-Coeur.
On April 4, this group of students took part in a traditional Native drum fabrication workshop as part of the Conseil scolaire catholique du Nouvel-Ontario (CSCNO) Aboriginal Education program. Following the traditional teachings by Elders from Atinamikshing Anishnaabek (Whitefish Lake First Nation), the students cut up the deer hide in circles and strips before placing them in water. As prescribed in Aboriginal traditions, only after the birthing ceremony will students be able to bring the drum home and use it.
The CSCNO, whose Aboriginal Education program is amongst the most proactive in Ontario, is offering this opportunity to its students to support Aboriginal students (First Nation, Métis and Inuit) and help them reach their full potential. The Board’s program includes initiatives that support awareness, learning and success at school, and seeks to instill pride and belonging towards the Aboriginal cultures.