The Painted Drum Summary

An Ojibwe appraiser who discovers and returns a sacred drum.

Faye is a complex woman, working as an appraiser in New Hampshire, seemingly disconnected from her full Ojibwe heritage. Her discovery of the painted drum at the Shaawano estate ignites a profound spiritual and ancestral awakening within her. She is intuitive and feels a strong, almost mystical, pull towards the drum, compelling her to 'liberate' it and embark on a journey of return. Faye is driven by a subconscious need to connect with her past and understand her identity, which gradually surfaces as she uncovers the drum's history and her own family's connection to it. She represents the contemporary Indigenous person seeking to reclaim lost heritage.

Relationships: Elsie (Her mother, who guides her understanding of the drum's history.); Bernard Shaawano (The deceased owner of the drum's estate, whose family had appropriated it.)

The Ojibwe woman who created the painted drum out of profound grief.

Anna is a central figure in the drum's origin story, living in the past. She is a powerful, spiritual Ojibwe woman, consumed by grief after the death of her infant daughter. Her profound sorrow and spiritual yearning drive her to create the moose-skin and cedar drum, imbuing it with her love, pain, and a desire to communicate with the spirit world. Anna represents the deep spiritual connection of the Ojibwe people to their traditions and the transformative power of art born from personal suffering. Her story highlights the resilience and spiritual strength of Indigenous women in the face of immense loss.

Relationships: Her infant daughter (The deceased child whose memory inspires the drum's creation.); Faye Travers (Her distant descendant, who eventually returns the drum.)

Faye's wise and resilient Ojibwe mother, a keeper of oral history.

Elsie is Faye's mother, living on the reservation in North Dakota. She is a repository of family history and traditional knowledge, embodying the wisdom and resilience of her people. When Faye brings the drum to her, Elsie immediately recognizes its significance and shares stories that illuminate its past and its connection to their lineage. Elsie serves as a crucial link between Faye and her ancestral heritage, providing context and spiritual guidance. She represents the enduring strength of oral tradition and the quiet power of Indigenous women who safeguard their culture through storytelling and memory.

Relationships: Faye Travers (Her daughter, whom she guides in understanding their heritage.); Anna (Her ancestor, whose story she helps to convey.)

The deceased owner of the drum, whose family acquired it from the Ojibwe.

Bernard Shaawano is the deceased man whose estate Faye appraises. His role in the story is primarily through his past and the legacy of his family's acquisition of the drum. As a child, he witnesses his Indian agent father take the drum from the Ojibwe, an act that symbolizes the broader historical appropriation of Indigenous culture. Bernard's life, though not deeply explored, represents the generational impact of such actions. His death and the subsequent appraisal of his estate become the catalyst for the drum's re-discovery and its journey back to its rightful owners, making him an unwitting agent of its return.

Relationships: Faye Travers (The appraiser who finds the drum in his estate.); Bernard Shaawano Sr. (His father, the Indian agent who took the drum.)

The Indian agent who took the drum from the Ojibwe community.

Bernard Shaawano Sr. is the Indian agent, father to the Bernard whose estate Faye appraises. He represents the historical forces of colonialism and cultural appropriation. Driven by a mix of misguided intentions to 'civilize' Indigenous people and a desire to collect artifacts, he takes the sacred drum from Anna and her community. His actions are a direct cause of the drum's displacement and the subsequent generational sorrow. He embodies the destructive impact of government policies and individual actions on Indigenous cultures and spiritual practices, setting in motion the drum's long journey of separation and eventual return.

Relationships: Anna (The woman from whom he takes the drum.); Bernard Shaawano (His son, who inherits the drum.)

Anna's deceased infant daughter, whose spirit inspires the drum's creation.

Maata is Anna's infant daughter, whose tragic death from illness is the catalyst for the creation of the painted drum. Though she is only present in the narrative through her death and Anna's profound grief, her spirit is central to the drum's purpose. She symbolizes the innocent lives lost during difficult times and the enduring bond between mothers and children, even beyond death. Maata's memory imbues the drum with its initial spiritual power and emotional depth, making it a vessel for love, remembrance, and connection to the spirit world.

Relationships: Anna (Her mother, who creates the drum in her memory.)

An Ojibwe family line, connected to the drum's history.

The Kashpaw family, though not always explicitly named as individual characters in relation to the drum's direct lineage, represents a significant Ojibwe family line that often appears in Erdrich's novels. In 'The Painted Drum,' they are part of the broader ancestral context, implicitly connected to the drum's journey and the community it serves. They symbolize the enduring presence and interconnectedness of Ojibwe families and their traditions, highlighting the communal aspect of the drum's significance beyond just one direct lineage. Their presence reinforces the novel's larger tapestry of Indigenous life.

Relationships: Ojibwe community (Part of the wider community affected by the drum.)

A sacred moose-skin and cedar Ojibwe drum, imbued with spiritual power and history.

The drum itself functions almost as a character, with its own agency and story. It is a sacred object, created by Anna out of profound grief for her lost daughter, and imbued with spiritual power, memory, and the voices of ancestors. Its journey from creation to appropriation, and finally to its return, mirrors the history and resilience of the Ojibwe people. The drum connects characters across generations and acts as a vessel for healing, cultural memory, and spiritual guidance. It is a tangible link between the physical and spiritual worlds, and a symbol of enduring Indigenous identity.

Relationships: Anna (Its creator, who imbued it with spiritual power.); Faye Travers (Its re-discoverer and agent of return.); Elsie (A keeper of its oral history.)