A treasured possession

Bringing culture into the classroom was one of the main themes in the First Nations teacher education program that I worked for. I arranged for a local Cowichan elder to come to our class to do a drum making workshop with the students, and ordered enough hoops and skins for each of us to make our own drum. A few days before the workshop, one of our close Aboriginal friends from Flinders University in Adelaide, Australia came to visit us, and of course we welcomed him to be included in the workshop. I didn't have time to order more equipment, so he made a drum to take home with him and I wandered around the class, fascinated by the process. The students and our friend were thrilled with the workshop and loved having their own drums.
About a month after the workshop, one of the students appeared in my office with the drum in the photo. One of the traditions in many First Nations cultures is to give away the first thing thing that you make: a basket, beadwork, a drum. Mistia had decided to give me her drum, because it was the first one she'd made and I hadn't made one. She'd had one of my friends and favourite local artists, Stuart Pagaduan, paint the drum for me with a hummingbird, which she knew I love. What a gift! No need to say that I was honoured and very emotional when Mistia gave me this drum, and I treasure it.
I have another drum and two prints by Simuletse', Stuart's traditional name. I've known him for many years and have enjoyed watching his talent grow.