Page 30 - Mississaugas of Scugog Island First Nation

Drumkeepers are people
Music
who have received a drum.
The primary responsibility We have both traditional and modern musicians in our
of a drumkeeper, or drum
community. Traditionally, we are the drumkeepers. We have
carrier, is to treat and care
members who are interested in learning singing and drumming.
for the drum as we would
any of our mishoomisnaanig
One modern musician who expresses our culture through
(grandfathers). This means that
her music is singer-songwriter Elsa Jayne. Elsa Jayne has
• we never leave him
unattended, released two albums and an EP. She is also co-founder of the
• we never leave him in the independent record company, Evergreen Arts. Much of her
car, unless we are travelling music reflects her First Nations culture. In an interview, Elsa
somewhere, and
Jayne said, “What is important is that I’m an Indigenous person
• when we bring him inside,
singing about things that are real to me. I sing about my dad’s
he is wrapped up and placed
childhood on the reserve, I sing about nature, I focus on the idea
upon a blanket, almost as if
we are tucking him into bed. that everything is connected. My music allows me to connect to
other Indigenous people.”

Elsa Jayne Photo by Vanessa Tignanelli, Waterloo Region Record

Elsa Jayne

28 Mississaugas of Scugog Island First Nation

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