Native American Drumming | Harlem, MT
The Assiniboine Cree singers are a family-based drum group from both the Fort Belknap and Rocky Boys reservations in Montana, traditional homes of the Assiniboine and Cree tribes.
Immigrants to Montana, the Assiniboine and Sioux were both gradually pushed westward onto the plains from the woodlands of Minnesota by the Ojibwe, who had acquired firearms from their French allies. Later, the Assiniboine acquired horses via raiding and trading with neighboring tribes of Plains Indians such as the Crow and the Sioux on their south.
The Assiniboine eventually developed into a large and powerful people with a horse and warrior culture; they used the horse to hunt the vast numbers of bison that lived within and outside their territory. At the height of their power, the Assiniboine dominated territory ranging from the North Saskatchewan River in the north to the Missouri River in the south, including portions of modern-day Saskatchewan, Alberta, and Manitoba, Canada; and North Dakota and Montana, in the US.
The Assiniboine Cree Singers carry forward strong and enduring traditions with a sound and style that has been developed through five generations of singing and performing at powwows and other gatherings and they are much appreciated by spectators and dancers who express a feeling of excitement and wanting more.
“Through the knowledge of our teachers before us we carry the essence of togetherness as well as family education and tradition,” says Winston Stewart the leader of the group.
We are honored to have the Assiniboine-Cree Singers represent and present the authentic ancient traditional music of Native drumming at the 2022 Montana Folk Festival.