Types of Native American Drums

Purposes and Types of Native American Drums

Native American culture is rich with traditional practices, mesmerizing designs, and beautiful music. The ancestors of Native American tribes developed distinct purposes and types of Native American drums. At Black Sage Woodworks, it’s our pleasure to share these kinds of historical details with our community. Continue reading below to discover what common Native American hand drums and other types of drums are used for.

Hand Drums

The Native American hand drum is one of the most common types of Native American drums. These percussive instruments were used in singing and dance gatherings, allowing members of a family and tribe to achieve balance and spiritual renewal. They remain popular to this day, being used in both formal and informal gatherings, traditional songs, and for children to play with.

Sweat Lodge Drums

Sweat lodge drums represent another significant type of drum commonly used by ancestral Native American tribes for spiritual and medicinal purposes. These drums played an integral part in elaborate healing practices by many Native American peoples. The name comes from the environment in which they were utilized. A sweat lodge is an enclosure that houses a small rock pit; Native Americans placed fire-heated stones in the pit and poured water on the stones, all part of purification rituals. Sweat lodge drums were used to seek assistance from the spirits that Native Americans believed held the keys to all of life. The drums were beaten as familial and tribal leaders engaged in spiritual songs.

Powwow Drums

As one of the most historically and contemporarily significant drums, powwow drums have played a crucial role in Native American culture as well. Much larger than hand drums and auxiliary drums, powwow drums were frequently used for meetings, ceremonies, and gatherings. Tribal dances, ritual ceremonies, and formal events are all embedded in Native American history, and powwow drums were a big part of them. These ceremonies were, and still are, carried out with great respect, and being entrusted to play a powwow drum is treated as a noble responsibility.

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