Frederick A. Hill, Sr. (Pendleton) is a Cayuse drum maker and singer who learned to make drums from his late uncle, Charlie McKay. He is also a well-known powwow Master of Ceremonies.
Bio
Frederick A. Hill, Sr. is a Cayuse drum maker and singer who lives in Pendleton. He learned to make drums from his late uncle, Charlie McKay. He is also a well-known powwow Master of Ceremonies. He often announces with his cousin, Thomas MorningOwl. Hill makes deer hide drum skins for ritual or longhouse use. As he explains, Deer stood up for the people and sacrificed its life to benefit the people. Deer skin makes the best drums. His uncle made round or octagonal hand drum frames over which the cleaned hide was stretched. At powwows, the sound of the drum inspires the participants. The honor or designated hitter drums on the down beat. Part of a drummer’s skill is hitting hard enough but not too hard; obtaining new hides was not easy, and an inexperienced drummer could break a skin. Hill “started messing with hides” in the 1980s, working with Leroy Selam (Yakama), who is a master drum maker. Canyon Records out of Arizona recorded Selam and Hill on “Songs of a Yakima Encampment (Where Songs Are Made)” (CR-6129). Hill teaches drum making at Nixwayaawii Community School on the Umatilla Reservation. He is eloquent about the tradition and history of drumming. He also participated in the Washington State Traditional Arts Apprenticeship Program as a master.
