REGIONAL- Thanks to the ongoing efforts of a Bois Forte Band musician and a grant from the Northland Foundation, youth in multiple area communities have the opportunity this summer to learn traditional Ojibwe singing and drumming.
Chaz Wagner is known to many as an on-air personality at Nett Lake’s KBFT 89.9 Bois Forte Tribal Community Radio and the creator of Native rock band War Bonnet, and he regularly participates in drum circles at Bois Forte powwows and ceremonies.
But this past February, Wagner gave up the radio gig to become an education specialist with the Indian Education program in the Hibbing School District.
Once there, Wagner began looking for external resources to support his activities. He contacted the Northland Foundation to inquire about their Maada’ookiing grant program, which works to strengthen relationships with Indigenous communities by providing funding for a variety of activities to tribal citizens in their service area.
“I was going to try to use it for the school, but they told me I couldn’t use it for that,” Wagner said. “But I had these drum classes already going at the school. I had the idea that I could continue on through the summer utilizing part of this grant and instead of just doing it in Hibbing I could go to other communities and teach people about the drum and how to sing, especially youth.”
That idea resonated with the Maada’ookiing grant proposal reviewers, who awarded Wagner $2,500 for the endeavor. He held his first event of the series at Bennett Park in Hibbing on July 12.
“Having it at places where people are around, if they hear it they can come on over and ask questions and see what’s going on. It draws curiosity,” Wagner said. “Part of the plan is to reach people who normally wouldn’t be around things like this because there’s a need in urban areas where Indigenous people live. This is all Indigenous land, and it always will be.”
Rain likely dampened the turnout for that first event, but Wagner did attract some people who were in the park, including a Native kid playing basketball who was curious enough to leave the court and join the activity, he said.
Wagner is planning to return to Nett Lake for a session on Tuesday, July 26, and he has another session booked for Bennett Park on Sunday, July 31 at noon. Wagner is still working on the rest of the schedule, which could include stops in Chisholm, Tower, and Grand Rapids, with the intent to finish up before school is back in session.
And folks are welcome even if they choose not to participate in the drumming and singing, Wagner said.
“If somebody just wants to come and listen to the songs and hang around the drum, they can do that, too. Either way, it’s a good thing,” he said.
Watch for more information about upcoming locations and dates by following Chaz Wagner’s page on Facebook.
Maada’ookiing grants of up to $2,500 are awarded three times a year by the Northland Foundation. The next application deadline is Sept. 15. For more information on how to apply, go to www.northlandfnd.org