Photo courtesy of Manitoba Buckskin.

In partnership with Manitoba Moon Voices, Creative Manitoba Indigenous Programs will host twice monthly hand drum circles with guest speakers, artists, elders and musicians at Thunderbird House. We will honour traditional knowledge, practice the art, and sound the drum. The drum circles are free to everyone in the community, members of Manitoba Moon Voices and members of Creative Manitoba.

Circles begin at 6:30 pm and run until 8:30 pm

Creative Manitoba Indigenous Programs and Manitoba Moon Voices are honoured to welcome Alison Cox to share her teachings within our drum circles for the next four sessions.

Alison Cox, educator and Traditional Teacher, has been teaching drumming in Winnipeg for numerous years. She is Anishinabe Ikwe Bear & Eagle Clan, Midi-win-win Society, Red Robe Drum Society, Okii ji da Ikwe Society-Academic/Musician/Writer/Teacher &Healer. She has sung for traditional powwows, spiritual gatherings, life and death ceremonies and small/large community events. She has also crossed into contemporary music with Walk Off the Earth and various rap groups.

Alison has been a Red Drum Society member for 14 years. She was passed a Big Drum from Elders’ Catherine Richards, Sandy Bay –Ojibway and Neil Hall, SagKeeng-Ojibway in 2001. She has been training and learning to Carry the Big Drum for years and has sat with many traditional teachers, singers and Big Drum Carriers all over Canada and the United States. The current Red Robe Women Drum Society Singers formed in 2005 with the guidance and teachings of Alison Cox – a Red Drum Society member.

Feb 15, 2018 – Drumming as Activism – How do we connect to community? How do we set up a drum circle? How do we sound our drums together as one voice in this time of Indigenous Resurgence! How do we get heard, while staying true to our teachings. New songs will also enter the circle.

Mar. 8, 2018 Guest Artist Lisa Muswagon – We welcome guest Lisa Muswagon an artist and member of the Pimicikamak Cree Nation, her ancestry consists of the Nakota-Cree tribe. Lisa is an artist who shares her story on a contemporary hand drum. Lisa was listed as #4 in ‘Ace Burpee’s Top 100 Fascinating Manitobans of 2016’. Lisa recently released her solo album project ‘Buffalo and Rabbits’ which is a ten story-titled contemporary hand drum album which earned her a 2017 Indigenous Music Award Nomination for Best New Artist. Buffalo and Rabbis also received a nomination for “Aboriginal Songwriter of the Year” at the Canadian Folk Music Award.

Wednesday Mar. 21, 2018 –   DATE CHANGE!!!!                                                               Red Robe Drum Society Singers and Songwalk Showcase – Tonight is our final drum gathering for the year. Together with our guests, the Red Robe Women Drum Society Singers!  The Red Robe Women Drum Society formed in early 2000 with the guidance and teachings of Alison Cox – a Red Drum Society member. The Drum group has over 30 members and is based in Winnipeg, Manitoba. The Red Robe Women Drum Society Singers have sung for traditional powwows, spiritual gatherings, life and death ceremonies and small/large community events, recorded a CD and played at the 2014 Junos!, we will sing honour songs, procession songs and hold a Songwalk Showcase of all we have learned over the past 6 months!