Yesterday’s talk of turtles made me think that today would be a good day to feature a couple of other turtles in our inventory — this time, instead of being rendered in relief in micaceous clay, they’re painted onto the surface of a pair of drums.
We’ve always carried a wide variety of drums in our inventory. Generally speaking, though, they fall mostly into two categories: 1) larger traditional upright drums of the kind used for gatherings; and 2) hand drums, used by individual singers. Either way, they’re decidedly “adult” drums, intended for traditional use, not for play.
But they’re all popular with kids; when the gallery was open, children of all ages would make a beeline for them upon crossing the threshold. And every once in a while, we’ll acquire so-called “adult” drums that are smaller and less expensive, and thus more suited to use by children.
Upright drums vary widely in size, and the largest powwow drums are too large for us to carry in inventory; they’re enormous (in both senses of that word), and they have a very specific purpose, which makes them cost-prohibitive to carry as an ordinary gallery item. The upright drums we carry are used for similar purposes, but for smaller events, such as family gatherings. They tend to run 15 to 20 inches across and 18 to 30 inches high. They’re also dual-sided, meaning that they can be flipped to drum on either surface. Depending on how all the materials come together, combined with differences in weather and temperature, one side may have better resonance that the other on a given day in a given location. The drumming may be done by one person, or by a group of people seated around it in a circle, each wielding a separate beater.
Hand drums, on the other hand, are strictly one-person drums. They’re also one-sided, with hide stretched over a wooden frame and a sinew handle wrapped around the frame on the underside. There are a couple of basic ways to create the frame. A drum maker who wants a uniform look will cut pieces of wood to fit together to create a round or octagonal shape (or other geometric pattern). One who makes them the traditional Taos Pueblo way will instead simply take a segment of tree trunk of an appropriate size, hollow it out, and smooth the wood. It creates a drum that is not perfectly uniform, but there are also no fitted pieces; it follows the line of the tree trunk perfectly, because it is the tree trunk. Most of the drums we sell are made primarily by two artisans: Elk Good Water, who specializes in hand drums of the uniform variety; and Lee Luján, who specializes mostly in upright drums (but who also makes hand drums) and who creates them in the traditional manner.
The two turtle drums featured here are by Elk Good Water, and they are unique among those we’ve carried over the years in that they combine features of both upright and hand drums. I’m relying on memory in estimating the dimensions, but each runs somewhere in the neighborhood of eight inches across — much smaller than the typical 12 to 14 inches of most hand drums, and thus easier for small hands to grasp. That’s aided by the handle attached to the top of each, sturdy and wrapped with wide strips of sinew. And yet, unlike a hand drum, each is dual-sided, and substantially deeper than a hand drum — some four to five inches or so, compared to one and a half to two inches in depth for most hand drums. This means that these little drums can be placed on top of a flat surface for drumming, and either side can be used. For those who don’t want to strike the painted surface, it gives them the option of playing on the unpainted side, and then turning the turtle pattern up for display when not using the drum.
Turtles appear as a motif in much of Elk Good Water’s art: In addition to drums, he makes traditional rattles using turtle shells, like the one shown at right. 
Yes, that’s a natural turtle shell, and no, the turtles are not killed to provide them. The shell, once found, is cleaned and dried thoroughly, then filled with something to provide the “rattle” sound, small pebbles or even dried beans. [In smaller individual hand rattles, the handleless sort held in the palm, dried rice or seeds may be used.] A wooden handle is then attached to the shell, wrapped securely with sinew and dried again, then decorated with strips of deerhide, beadwork, and feathers hanging from thongs. [The feathers, incidentally, are from the invasive dove species now ubiquitous here (like those shown) or, for larger pieces, from turkeys, and are often painted to resemble eagle or hawk feathers.] The last of these sold a couple of summers ago, but we’ll no doubt eventually have more in stock. When we do, I’ll feature them here.
But back to the drums. Turtle plays a significant role in many tribal traditions, including those of the Northern Woodlands peoples. Several, like my own, have origin stories involving Grandmother Turtle: When the Great Spirit created the First People, there was no way fro them to survive the waters that covered this earth, and so the animals were asked to help. All of them — Bear, Wolf, the Hell-Diver, others — were positive they would be the ones to provide a means for the First People to survive. All of them tried . . . and all of them failed. At last Grandmother Turtle, unnoticed until now, spoke up: She said, “I can hold the people on my back. My strong, sturdy shell will give them a safe, dry place to live.” And so it was done. And that, they say, is why the land mass now called North America, seen from the air, resembles a turtle, and why our peoples call it “Turtle Island.”
“Turtle Island” has become an intertribal phrase affirming identity and history, even for indigenous peoples whose origin stories are different. Even so, for other peoples such as those here in the Southwest, turtles sometimes still play a role in culture, tradition, art, and the old stories. Here, their association with water is likely key to their significance. And, indeed, the artwork on these two drums reflects that association. From the description of the drum in the photo at the top of this post, as it appears in the Other Artists: Drums Gallery:
Grandmother Turtle wears an ancient “kiva steps” pattern on her shell on this small dual-sided hand drum. Perfect for either adults or children, the drum bears symbols of water and the Four Directions, and comes with a traditional beater. Drum by Elk Good Water (Taos Pueblo); artwork by his wife, Dolly Concha (Zuni Pueblo).
$125 + shipping, handling, and insurance
In fact, the design reflects all of the Sacred Directions, both cardinal and ordinal, and the repeating patterns of the dots, in fours, sevens, and eights, all evoke symbolism sacred to various peoples. For some, it’s the number of the directions; for some, the original clans of the First People; for some, the number of particular types of spirit beings; for some, the signify other things entirely.
Similar motifs appear in the other drum: hoop, water, and lightning and rain imagery; wheel-like patterns and directional designs; another repetition of the number eight in circles placed at cardinal and ordinal points. From its description here on the site:
“Sacred Hoop” patterns accent Grandmother Turtle’s shell and water emanates from her feet on small hand drum. Dual-sided with a twisted hide handle, the drum comes with a traditional beater and is sized for both adults and children. Drum by Elk Good Water (Taos Pueblo); artwork by his wife, Dolly Concha (Zuni Pueblo).
$125 + shipping, handling, and insurance
For folks who have never used a traditional drum of any kind before, or who have children who’d like to learn about Native drums, small dual-purpose drums like these are a great place to start.
And for grandparents looking to exact revenge on their own children by spoiling grandchildren with a gift that makes a wonderful noise sound, they’re perfect.
~ Aji
All content, including photos and text, are copyright Wings and Aji, 2015; all rights reserved. Nothing herein may used or reproduced in any form without the express written permission of the owners.
