Material Type

Artifact

Other Name

RAWHIDE DRUM

Date Range From

1950

Date Range To

1960

Materials

HIDE, WOOD, LEATHER

No. Pieces

2

Height

9

Diameter

34

Description

A. RAWHIDE DRUM WITH HIDE FITTED OVER ROUND WOODEN FORM; HIDE HAS LEATHER LOOPED ABOVE WOODEN FORM, WITH LEATHER STRAPS TIED INTO CENTER OF DRUM WITH CLOTH AND WIRE AT ENDS OF LEATHER STRAPS. DRUM HAS METAL NAILS THROUGH HIDE AND WOODEN FORM. DRUM HAS FOUR PUNCHED HOLES IN HIDE ALONG EDGE AT SURFACE, AND FOUR ADDITIONAL HOLES ON OPPOSITE SIDE OF DRUM. INSIDE OF DRUM HAS TWO PUNCHED HOLES AT BASE OF WOODEN FORM. HIDE IS WORN AND CRACKED ALONG WOODEN FORM; HIDE IS SEPARATING FROM LEATHER CORD ALONG WOODEN FORM; LEATHER IS STAINED AND EMBRITTLED; WOODEN FORM IS CRACKED AND SPLITTING. CLOTH IN CENTER OF DRUM HOLDING LEATHER STRANDS IS DISCOLOURED AND FRAYING. HIDE IS DISCOLOURED AND STAINED ON EDGES, SURFACE, AND INSIDE OF DRUM. OVERALL FAIR CONDITION. B. WOODEN DRUM STICK, 1.2CM WIDE X 37CM LONG. LIGHT WOOD WITH WIDER HANDLE END THAT TAPERS; WOOD VARNISHED DARKER. TAPERED END IS CHIPPED AND CRACKED. VARNISH IS PEELED AND FADED; WOOD IS CRACKED DOWN TOP END. OVERALL GOOD CONDITION.

Subjects

MUSICAL T&E

INDIGENOUS

Historical Association

LEISURE

ETHNOGRAPHIC

History

ON MAY 3, 2017, COLLECTIONS TECHNICIAN KEVIN MACLEAN INTERVIEWED GARY HAMILTON REGARDING HIS DONATION OF OBJECTS FROM HIS CHILDHOOD. HAMILTON WAS RAISED IN MAGRATH, ALBERTA, AND RECALLS THE OBJECTS FROM HIS CHILDHOOD IN SOUTHERN ALBERTA. ON THE RAWHIDE DRUM, HAMILTON RECALLED, “IT WAS GIVEN TO MY DAD AND I ENDED UP WITH IT. FROM WHAT I REMEMBER IT’S…AT LEAST SIXTY, SIXTY-FIVE YEARS OLD. THE STICK IS THE SAME, THERE SHOULD BE SOME CLOTH WRAPPED AROUND THE END. IT’S ORIGINAL, I THINK IT’S MADE BY A BLOOD TRIBE [MEMBER], BECAUSE I KNOW MY DAD KNEW A LOT OF THEM. I THINK IT WAS MADE BY ANDY SHADE.” “[I REMEMBER MY FATHER] GETTING IT. HE JUST SHOWED UP, ANDY WAS THERE. THEY WERE HAVING A BEER AND HE BROUGHT IT INTO HIM.” “[MY FATHER AND ANDY SHADE] WERE FRIENDS. THEY WERE FRIENDS IN MAGRATH AND IN LETHBRIDGE, THAT’S WHEN HE GOT IT…IT’S FROM MAGRATH.” “WE PLAYED WITH IT. WE’D WALK AROUND TOWN, GO UP AND DOWN THE STREET.” “[MOTHER] HAD CLOTHES FROM WHEN WE WERE LITTLE, NOT ALL THE CLOTHES BUT SOME HANGING UP. THIS WAS UP THERE. SHE HAD STORAGE ON HER WALL FULL OF TOYS, [AND] GAMES.” “IT DOES MEAN SOMETHING. IT DID MEAN SOMETHING. IT’S PART OF MY CHILDHOOD, PART OF MY GROWING UP.” HAMILTON ELABORATED ON HIS CHILDHOOD, NOTING, “WHEN I WAS GROWING UP IT WAS WAY DIFFERENT THAN IT IS NOW. IF YOU NEEDED A SPANKING YOU GOT A SPANKING…NOW YOU CAN’T TOUCH ANYBODY. THAT’S PART OF MY GROWING UP SO I WOULD IMAGINE EVERYBODY ELSE WAS DOING IT TOO. THEY DIDN’T THINK OF IT BY THEMSELVES.” “I WAS GONE ALL THE TIME. MY AUNT LIVED DOWN THE STREET AND I GUESS I WOULD GO VISIT HER, PUT MY HAT ON WHETHER I HAD CLOTHES ON OR NOT, GO VISIT HER. MY DAD WORKED A BLOCK AWAY. EVERYBODY KNEW ME. IT WASN’T A BIG TOWN, AND MY UNCLE WAS A SCHOOL TEACHER THERE, PRINCIPAL AT THE SCHOOL. I’VE GOT LOTS OF RELATIVES OUT THERE.” “THEY’D SEND ME TO SCHOOL AND I WOULDN’T GO. RECESS I’D GO PLAY WITH THE GUYS AT RECESS AND THEN I’D TAKE OFF AGAIN, I’D GO FISHING.” “MY MOTHER [CORRINE HAMILTON] NEVER THREW ANYTHING AWAY. GAMES FROM WHEN WE WERE KIDS…JACKETS, SHOES, SKATES, SHE KEPT IT.” “MY BROTHER AND MY SISTER [WENT THROUGH MY MOTHER’S THINGS WHEN SHE PASSED AWAY TEN YEARS AGO]…[MY BROTHER CALLED] HE SAID, “DO YOU WANT YOUR JACKET BACK? AT THE TIME I THOUGHT I WAS GOING TO MAKE A FRAME FOR ALL THIS STUFF AND THEN PUT IT ON MY WALL. ONE THING LED TO ANOTHER AND WE SOLD MY HOUSE, MOVED TO AN APARTMENT, [AND I] DIDN’T WANT TO DO IT.” “IT’S PART OF MY CHILDHOOD.” FOR MORE INFORMATION INCLUDING THE FULL INTERVIEW TRANSCRIPTION, PLEASE SEE THE PERMANENT FILE P20170018001-GA.

Catalogue Number

P20170018003

Acquisition Date

2017-05

Collection

Museum

Less detail