Bear Butte, an original watercolor by Kent Lebsock Certain gifts were given to us by the Creator and these gifts make us human. The Drum is the heartbeat of the mother as we are carried in the womb. It is the first sound that we hear as living beings. The Songs were given to us to cleanse ourselves of the emotions that result from being humans. Through the songs we can rejoice, grieve, voice our aspirations or honor one another.
Songs are a subliminal way of teaching too.
Just as we remember nursery rhymes and commercial jingles, what is given to us as children through song is remembered. Songs are the most powerful prayers that we can offer because songs contain pure emotion that is not hindered by the words that have to be explained. Dance is movement, of the body or the face. Dance allowed us to express the things that were important to us while participating in the group. As Indigenous peoples, anything that is meaningful to us includes group participation.