M. 3 P. 3 – Coast Salish Drum

This video showcases the making of a traditional Coast Salish Drum by Jorge Lewis who is part of the Snuneymuxw nation located in Naniamo, Vancouver Island. This video may appeal to me more than others as I appreciated the craftsmanship, and appropriateness of the video towards showing high school students. Another appreciation I had of the video was the way Jorge used knowledge passed down from his family towards making the drum. For example, instead of relying on a math equation to layout the holes on the hide equally, he used a clever folding technique. He also relied on his experience of hand placement to tighten up the lace. While doing all this, he stressed how the prayer was the most important part leading to his success. The combo of highly applied knowledge and low reliant on special tools also appealed to me. This is a project that can be attempted in a school setting with the correct individual leading the activity.

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