Lakeport >> Before stepping onto the top floor of the Lakeport Historic Courthouse Tuesday night where a drum circle was being held, every person had to be blessed with a smoke bath. The practice is called smudging, and it’s used to dispel negative energy and create an open mind and heart — which was especially necessary considering the history of the courthouse.
“This room hasn’t always been kind to the Native American community going back to when it opened,” said Beniakem Cromwell, one of the night’s drummers. “We really wanted to come here and bridge a long time ago to today.”
Museum Curator Tony Pierucci felt that partnering with drummers from a men’s group hosted by Lake County Tribal Health would be a good step forward for the community. While the past should never be forgotten, he said, it’s important to begin the healing process. “This is the center where voting rights were shot down for the Native Americans, where segregation continued in schools … By it’s virtue of being a historical building, [the courthouse] is a center of contention,” he said. “We’re happy to be able to recognize that and move forward.”
The museum houses the largest collection of Eastern Pomo basketry on display at one time, but Pierucci said they haven’t had the best connection with the tribes in the past. “For any Native American community, the artifacts that their ancestors created, they’re a living part of their culture,” Pierucci said. “We’re very much an important repository for the Pomo tribes here in the county, so this was an opportunity for us to invite them in to partake in a social ceremony.”
The drumming circle was open to the public, an idea which was met with enthusiasm on all sides. It was a way for the community to see what the men’s wellness group is all about, and possibly join if the drumming sparked their interest. “We want to just show people that we’re about wellness and we’re about a group being together,” Cromwell said. “We’re not all from the same tribe, we’re not all Native, but we’re just here for a common thread.”
For about 45 minutes, eight drummers from Tribal Health sat in a circle and performed songs from Midwestern tribes such as the Cheyenne and Lakota Tribes. While each of the men at Tuesday’s event was from one of the various local Native American Tribes, not all men who attend the weekly meetings at Tribal Health belong to the Native community. The wellness group welcomes any man to participate in the drum circle.
The group began drumming after a few of the members who knew a few songs decided they wanted to share the music with others. Cromwell had never drummed before seven months ago, but he loves how the practice allows him to be rid of the negative and embrace the positive.
“That’s how we connect in our wellness group,” he said. “We all pick up a drumstick and drum together. That brings our circle together and puts us all together on the same heartbeat.”
Tuesday’s drumming circle was the first instance the Courthouse Museum and Tribal Health teamed up, but everyone involved hopes it won’t be the last. There were about ten people from the community in attendance, a decent turnout, Pierucci feels, considering it had never been done before. “I hope that as we move forward more people in the community, tribal and non-tribal, will get wind of it and want to come and participate in a community event that I think is a really great step in the right direction,” Pierucci added.
Jennifer Gruenke can be reached at 900-2019.
