Fort Smith high school students build their own Dene drums

Students at Paul William Kaeser High School in Fort Smith are learning to make music – on instruments they built themselves.

Chipewyan language instructor Paul Boucher is hoping to help 200 of his students build Dene drums by the end of the year. 

"What I was told by elders around was it was a gift from the Creator, and for us to use it to communicate with the Creator," he says. 

"So that's what I do, and it's helped me in my own healing. I wanted to share that with students." 

Boucher bought 100 deer hides, and sourced local birch that was then processed into frames in the school's shop class. The hides are soaked and then stretched over the frames. Then they are stitched into place by patterns that are unique to each student.

The students make their own drum sticks as well, decorating them as they see fit; Boucher himself has a stick decorated with the Montreal Canadiens' colours and logo.

"They don't realize they're making a drum — that they can do it," he says. 

"It becomes an ownership for them: 'I own this drum because I made it.' I can see it in their eyes. They smile, they light up. It's quite nice."

Once the drums are complete, Boucher hopes students will use them to play to relieve stress or comfort themselves in tough times. If there's enough interest, he says he would also like to start a drum group at the school, using the drums built in his class. 

"Just to hear the heartbeat of the drum is important. Even that would help in any stressful situation for any student," he says. 

So far 50 drums have been completed. Some sit in his classroom awaiting his care, having bent during the drying process, but many more have been taken home by their proud makers.