Yatsule's Drum

An Interview with Leon Andrew, Norman Wells, NT

Q. Please tell us about your grandfather.

"Yatsule Mackenzie was among those people who were born in the Drum Lake area. We call it Ketsehke. We got plenty of supplies for winter, by harvesting.

They went into the mountains and gathered their moose hide and journeyed back along the Keele. It's rough water but they knew how to read the water. They were very careful as they paddled out and camped, all the way to Tulita."

Photo: Drew Ann Wake

Q. How did the Mountain Dene begin drumming?

"According to Yatsule, they were camping with another family back in the mountains and a man who was trapping told them about drums down in the Nahanni Butte area. They decided to go visit.

So spring came, the ice melted, they made their own moose skin boat and went to find the man with the drum.

Photo: NWT Archives

Q. How did they find their way?

"They knew about the waterfall, so they sent a couple of fast runners up to the top of the mountain. From up top they looked down the river to see where the waterfall is. So they got to Nahanni.

When they got there, they went to visit this person who talked about drumming. He knew they were coming so he sent his son with a message: 'Last winter you were in the mountains talking about me.'

Photo: Jonathan Antoine

Q. Is that where it began?

"They left Nahanni Butte and came back. There was no store so they came to Tulita, and they gathered in a feast and shared.

Yatsule Mackenzie said: 'I had a vision that the Creator came and visited me in my dream, left me a message. Here's a drum song. I'll sing it for you so you can remember it and sing it for the people. That's where the spiritual drumming of the Mountain Dene began."

Photo: Linda MacCannell

Q. How many songs are from Yatsule?

"Over time, he made about 52 songs. Today we know about twenty of them. That's the spiritual connection through the drummers. They give you a message about human beings in the afterlife.

This is The Tablecloth Song. The message behind it is that too many young people are going to bed hungry. It's almost as if he knew the world, many people going without food.

Photo: Arlyn Charlie

Q. Are the songs connected to the land?

The Tablecloth Song is connected to the land. You ask the creator to make sure there is enough fish in the river, enough wildlife on the land. The song is pleading: please don't let that go away.

Yatsule Andrew called this The Baby Song. Every time there's a new mother, they sing it for her. That's the message: teach your baby in a good way.

Photo: Arlyn Charlie