dewe'gan, drum, single-headed

dewe'gan, drum, single-headed

dewe'gan, drum, single-headed

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Introduction

This relative is an Anishinaabe single headed dewe'gan (drum) from Red Lake, Minnesota. Composed of deer hide stretched across wooden frame, it is secured with a tanned leather thong. This dewe'gan was collected by Amos H. Gottschall between the 1871 and 1905. His collection was likely left to the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia (ANS) sometime before 1937. ANS formally gifted the collection to the University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology in 1997, where this relative currently resides.

Name of Maker(s): Maker Unrecorded
Nation of Maker: Anishinaabe Ojibwe
Reasons for connecting this relative with particular nation(s)

Collector's documentation lists it as being "Chippewa."

Place of Origin: Red Lake Nation, Miskwaagamiiwi-Zaagaiganing
Date Made or Date Range: 1880s to 1910s
Summary of Source(s) for this Relative

The information in this record is based on museum documentation.

Materials

deer hide; native tanned thong; thread; wooden frame

Techniques or Format

The deer hide is stretched around a wooden frame, and tied with leather thong. The thread may have been used to repair the drum.

Dimensions: 37 × 37 × 4.8 mm
Condition: Significant tears in the drum head.
Reasons for connecting this relative with particular times, materials, styles and uses

This is the period when Gottschall amassed his collection.

Current Location: University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology, Philadelphia, PA, USA
Catalogue, Accession or Reference Number: 97-84-2384 (Penn number); L-84-2384 (old museum number); 17949 (ANS number); II 319 (Gottschall number)
Link to Institution's Collections Database: https://www.penn.museum/collections/object/79138
Collection at Current Location: Amos H. Gottschall Collection
Date of Acquisition by the Institution: 1997
Who the Institution Acquired the Relative or Heritage Item From: Gift of the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia, 1997
Date Relative was First Removed or Collected from its Community Context: 1871 to 1905
Collection Narratives and Histories

It was collected from Red Lake, MN by Amos H. Gottschall between the 1871 and 1905. His collection was likely left to the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia (ANS) sometime before 1937. ANS formally gifted the collection to the University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology in 1997, where this relative currently resides.

Publication History

Gottschall, Amos H. Priced and Descriptive Catalogue of the Utensils, Implements, Weapons, Ornaments, Etc., of the Indians, Mound Builders, Cliff Dwellers: Typical Collections No. 2. 1909. (See: II 319)

GKS Reference Number: 25386
How to Cite this Item

Maker, Name unrecorded. Dewe'gan, drum, single-headed. GRASAC ID 25386. University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology, 97-84-2384.

Record Creation Context

This information was gathered during a GRASAC visit to museum with Alan Corbiere, David Penney, Ruth Phillips, Stacey Loyer, and William Wiersbowski, Dec 2, 2009.
This record was augmented by Joy Kruse on March 3, 2025.

Approximate Place of Origin

47.880202090453, -95.006773426731

Source of Information about Places

The pin has been placed on the Red Lake Nation Government Center. This does not reflect the place of origin for the drum. It represents the Red Lake Nation as a whole.

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