Native American Drumming Circle

**Native American Drumming Circle is led by Grandfather Rick McBride and is on a donation basis.** Please arrive promptly: it is important for everyone to be present at the opening of the circle and please note the Circle is indoors. Grandfather Rick writes: “Drumming has long been understood as a prayer when we dedicate ourselves to it. In this Circle, we honor traditional preparation, we drum with Native American-style hand drums, and songs are sung in the Lakota language (no songs in English). For serious, respectful people only; once the Ceremony begins you are expected to stay to the end. Please join us. If you do not have a drum, there will be drums to loan. There is no charge for the Ceremony, but donations are accepted to support the continuation of the Circle. It is traditional for women to wear skirts, dresses or sarongs to Native American Ceremony.”

Grandfather Rick McBride (Grandfather is an honorary title in Native American tradition) is mixedblood Ani’yunwi’ya (Tsalagi or Cherokee) who has walked the Red Road for over 40 years. He was named Cante Lute (Schan-tay Lou-tuh) by the spirits through his Sundance chief, which means Red Heart. He is a Sundancer and completed his 19th Sundance on the Cheyenne River Reservation in South Dakota; he has been traditionally trained and authorized to lead ceremonies, such as inipi (purification lodge), prayer with the Canunpah (Pipe), drum healing, and so forth. He has been publicly teaching these ways for over 16 years now. Workshops and lectures are one way to learn from the wisdom of Indian Country. Ceremony brings this knowledge to life. Combined, teaching and ceremony render practical guidance to everyday living. And so, Rick sees his role as that of “translator” of indigenous ways so that mainstream-educated people get the full benefit of these ways. It has taken him years of dedicated interaction with many Elders, as well as his activities as a ceremonial leader to get to this place in his life.