S4E16: The Heartbeat of a Nation: Dewe'igan (Sacred Drumming)

When a community, tribe, or nation is bouncing back to reclaim their sovereignty as First Nations, there is no doubt what will be at the center of that come back. When the social structure of an entire country predicts that, "the Indian" will be removed from the land for progress to develop, but the land says, "we are still here," there is always a sacred drum still beating, too. When you listen and come near the Dewe'igan you can feel the future of a culture and a people still standing, singing, and dancing for each other and their sovereign land and waters.

Sarah currently serves as a Health Educator for Marquette County Health Department and has spent 20 years in public health working in areas of substance abuse prevention, suicide prevention, tobacco control and prevention, syringe service programming, child passenger safety, family health education, and breast and cervical cancer screening programming. Sarah served on the State of Michigan Suicide Prevention Commission from 2019-2024, and currently serves on the The University of Michigan's Institute for Firearm Injury Prevention Community Advisory Board, With One Voice Board (statewide suicide prevention), and the Forsyth Township Library board of trustees.

T.J. Derwin is an enrolled member of The Sault Tribe of Chippewa Indians and an outreach worker for Marquette and Schoolcraft County areas under the office of Native American affairs in the state of Michigan Department of Health and Human Services. He has spent the previous 20+ years working primarily within indigenous population across rural Michigan. TJ currently serves as a secretary of the Gwynn Area Community School Board of Education, as well as the Market Elder Regional Board of Education.

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