Monique Gray Smith

The Drumbeat of Reconciliation

Many people say that when they hear the powerful sound of a traditional Indigenous hand drum, it stirs something deep inside. What is often unknown is that on the back of a traditional hand drum are 4 pieces of sinew or hide that pull the front of the drum tight so it not only stays in place, but makes the beautiful, soul stirring sound. Reconciliation is like a drum. It can look and even sound good, and might even being a catalyst for action, but if the 4 pieces of sinew at the back of the drum are not solid, eventually it will come apart. This talk will focuses on what makes up the 4 pieces of sinew at the back of our drum: respect, relationships, resilience and a focus on reconciliation. For the drumbeat of reconciliation to have a powerful and long lasting impact, we must ensure that our 4 pieces of sinew have been and continue to be well attended to. In doing so, the heartbeat of your family, community, school and classroom will echo and reverberate: resilience, respect, relationships and as a result, reconciliation.