Back to the drum (7 photos)

At 16, Greyson Sutherland, 20, was into alcohol, marijuana, speed, and even the more hardcore drug Oxycontin.

Originally from Moose Factory, he moved to Timmins and was living basically by himself at his parent’s place here.

The Thunder Creek Singers (from left): Nathan Naveau, Mark Carpenter, and Greyson Sutherland. Jeff Klassen/TimminsToday

His dad had a heart attack, his mom had financial problems - he was at the lowest point in his life.

That’s when Sutherland ran into what was at the time his former drum-friends Nathan Naveau, 20, and Mark Carpenter, 27, at a Tim Hortons one day.

They had been drumming in a group together but he had sort of distanced himself from them.

“When they saw me, they were wondering how I was doing. We hadn’t talked for like six months and they were wondering where I was. I started crying. Around that time, I just said: ‘I’m done, I’m done with the drugs’ and I came back to the drum,” said Sutherland.

That was four years ago, and today the three young men are still drumming together, now in their most recent group, The Thunder Creek Singers.

Last week was Indigenous Cultural Awareness Week at Northern College, and the group performed and spoke in front of high school students about the meaning of drumming, or as they say ‘the drum’, in their life.

The drum as a solution to substance abuse seemed to be a common theme amongst all three of the group.

“Singing and drumming… keeps me from alcohol and drugs. It ties me down to sobriety. It makes me feel good. It gives me energy," said Naveau, whose from Mattagami First Nation but now studying at Northern College.

“I remember Greyson coming there,” said Carpenter, refereeing to that day in Tim Hortons. “He looked in rough shape. I went up and talked to him and he started crying. I started talking to him about how the drum helps you. It will bring you back on your feet. It just lifts your spirit up. Since then… its been going good.”

Carpenter, originally from Fort Albany, grew up around drugs, alcohol, and abuse.

“When I found my drum, I found my culture. It made me realize who I was and why my past history was like that.,” he said.

Carpenter finds attending pow wows, and participating in drum circles has opened his eyes to things about how his life has worked out the way it has and helped him heal.

Part of that healing is joking around with his friends.

The drum circle is a brotherhood for these guys.

They take care of each other and lift each other up when they’re at their lowest points.

“Before I was drumming, I was a really shy person. I would sit in the corner not want to talk,” said Navaeu, who’s from Mattagami First Nation. “When I started hanging out with these guys… they really helped me open to the way I am now. If you know me, I’m a really silly person at times.”

All three of them are.

Hanging out they crack jokes, make fun of each other (in a fun way), laugh, and seem to have a great time.

At their college presentation on Friday, they had the high school students cracking up as well.

They’re a big a inspiration to some people, including Joseph Nakogee, Indigenous Student Advisor at the college.

“I consider you guys role models, warriors, and examples for our people," he said the men during their presentation.