Some Observations on the Drum Society of Chippewa Indians

The history of the Drum Dance among Chippewa Indians on the Mille Lacs Lake Reservation in Minnesota is examined in an attempt to discern its modern function. It is suggested that the Drum Dance reinforces bilateral kinship ties; that it reinforces traditional Indian beliefs; and that it has in some ways replaced the Grand Medicine Society. The purpose of the present paper is to investigate the function of the Drum Dance among Chippewa Indians as studied at Mille Lacs Lake Reservation in north central Minnesota. For reasons to be reviewed presently, it appears to bolster a bilateral social organization found there; furthermore, it appears to function as a means of maintaining traditional beliefs and

Archaeology · Drum · Environmental ethics · Genealogy · Political science · American Literature and Culture · Diversity and Impact of Dance · History · Law · Philosophy