Elders Keeping Our Traditions Alive
By Kayla Neyelle, aged 15 Years, Deline

An elder of Deline by the name of Johnny Neyelle has been making drums since 1950. He taught himself by watching other people making drums. He has taught a few people how to make drums as well. He enjoys making drums, because he would like to keep the tradition alive.

On my grandfather’s side of the family, making a drum isn’t just something to do. It’s a skill that gets passed on to people who want to learn. It’s called passing on knowledge that’s been in the family for generations.

People should know and understand that there are a lot of steps to making a drum. You have to learn the basics step by step. Making drums can be a lot of work. It can take hours or even days to get it just right. For my grandfather it would probably take close to two days, or maybe less. He works hard at making drums.

I admire my grandfather because he never gives up until the work is finished, even if a project takes most of the day. He may be old, but he still does have a lot of strength and energy.

I wrote this story about my grandfather because I think that people should know that keeping out traditions alive is the best way to go. If people don’t keep the traditions alive, they will lose everything they know and everything that they have been taught by their grandparents.

Grandparents are very special people in their grandchildren’s lives. They have a lot of stories to tell, and they have a very special thing inside them-their memory of the past when their parents were still alive.

To the people that are reading this article: Make your grandparents and parents proud of you by showing how much you care, and by keeping what they’ve taught you as an important traditions in your family.

Thank you so much for taking time to read this. Mahsi, and take care.