Whitetail Drum Group

The Whitetail Drum Group Singers are from all parts of Ontario and even parts of the United States.  Singers have come and gone since the drum group was first formed in 1990; all together over fifty singers have been involved with our drum.  Most of these singers grew up listening to the Whitetail Drum Group.  

The new revitalized Whitetail singers have been together for the last four years.  We compose all of own songs or have been honored to receive songs from other well known drum groups such as:  the Mystic River singers, Blacklodge Otterhead and the Desert star singers.  The songs that we do compose originate mainly from the Swampy Cree First Nations of the James Bay area where David Okimaw, Manager of the Whitetail singers was born. (Moose Factory, ON) 

Using traditional style singing as well as contemporary (word) songs, the Whitetail Drum group has been fortunate to place at various Pow Wow competitions across North America. 

The core Group consists of:

David Okimaw

Gilbert Cheechoo, jr.

Adrian Sutherland

Mark Meekis

Trevor Jones

Craig Trudeau

Doug Redbreast

Brad Picody

Justin Polson and

Wayne Moberly.

The Whitetail Singers are available for anything such as Host drum, social functions, pow wows and performances anytime and anywhere.  Please contact Linda@interindigital.ca or dhookimaw@hotmail.com for more information.

Meegwetch!

More on Whitetail

Music Experience

Manager and Drum Keeper of Whitetail Cree Singers:

Formed in 1990, David was instrumental in organizing ten (10) singers under his drum group name “Whitetail” to host and attend various national and international aboriginal competition and ceremonial powows.

In addition, David and his Whitetail singers are commissioned by various aboriginal organizations and institutions to perform and give cultural presentations and workshops.  Various clients include:

·         Assembly of First Nations (AFN);

·         Museum of Civilization;

·         Museum of Nature;

·         Toronto Wonderland;

·         Ontario Science Center;

·         Aboriginal Veterans Association;

·         Ottawa Tulip Festival; and

·         Indigenous Festival of the World, Mexico City, Mexico.

Competitions:

Placed first (1^st) at the following Aboriginal Singing Competitions:

·         Salamanca, New York Powwow, July 2003

·         Washington, DC Powwow Smithsonian Museum, August 2002

·         Cape Cod, Massachusetts, 2002

·         Six Nations Champions of Champions Powwow, Six Nations Ontario, 2002

·         Six Nations Champions of Champions Powwow, Six Nations Ontario, 2001

·         Wiki Competition Powwow, August 2002

Placed second (2^nd) at the following Aboriginal Singing Competitions

·         Odawa Annual Powwow, 2002 and 2003

Placed third (3^RD) at the following Aboriginal Singing Competitions:

·         Seminole Tribe Fair, February 2002

·         Schemitzen Powow, Hartford, Connecticut, September 2002

Host Drum:

Hosted Drum at the following Powwows:

·         Cherokee North Carolina Powwow, August 2003;

·         Wemotaci, Quebec, August 2003;

·         Saugeen First Nation Powwow, Ontario August 2003;

·         Mohegan Sun Casino Powwow, Connecticut, July 2003

·         Kahnawake Powow, Quebec, July 2003

CD’s produced:

·         “Whitetail Cree 2001”, Redrock Productions, Oklamoma City, Oklahoma, 2001

·         “Cree Whitetail - Live at Skydome”, Sweetgrass Records, Saskatchewan, 1999

·         “Whitetail Singers – From the Heart”, First Nations Music Inc., Toronto, ON, 1994

·         “Whitetail Singers – Forever Dancing” First Nations Music Inc., Toronto, ON, 1993

·         “Whitetail Singers” -self titled, independently produced by Whitetail singers, North Bay, ON, 1992

Music Nominations:

Juno Awards, Aboriginal Traditional Music category,  1992