Ceremony Drum and Drum Beater by Wilson Freemont, Flandreau, South Dakota, ca. 2000 Click on images below to see larger images NMM 10872.  Ceremony drum by Wilson Freemont, Flandreau, South Dakota, ca. 2000. Frame drum of mitered shell construction with single bison-hide head, laced with strips of rawhide. Mottled extant hair on head surface. Made by mitering small blocks of wood and assembling them with glue and press. Has associated drum beater made by splitting a bison’s tail. Gift of Lakeport Emporium L.L.C., Yankton, South Dakota, 2005. Bison-Tail Drum Beater and Rawhide Lacing on Drumhead PA-060.  Drum beater by Wilson Freemont, Flandreau, South Dakota, ca. 2000. Bison tail beater, made by splitting the tail. Wide end of beater used to strike drum. Gift of Lakeport Emporium L.L.C., Yankton, South Dakota, 2005. The drum beater, head, and rawhide lacing for this drum are all made from a bison (buffalo) tail and head. The American bison is classified as a low risk, conservation-dependent species by the IUCN (International Union of Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources) as of 2002. The ever-increasing bison ranching industry ensures a readily available supply to traditional drum makers. Go to Checklist of Musical Instruments of the Indigenous Peoples of North America National Music Museum The University of South Dakota 414 East Clark Street Vermillion, SD   57069 ©National Music Museum, 2007 Most recent update:   February 28, 2007 You are the 2,167th visitor to this page since February 23, 2007. The University of South Dakota Return to Top of Page