Moose hide or cowhide is best suited for drum making, as it is more durable than deer or antelope hide. The hide needs to be stretched, in the sun, and scraped repeatedly to remove the fat and other tissue. Working two to three hours a day it takes about 6 days to complete this step. If the hair needs to be removed, it doubles the time. It is important to scrape gently and lightly: vigorous scraping creates thinned, weakened areas.

A concoction of animal brains, rendered fats, wood ash and urine are massaged into the hide, until it can 'hold' no more. The hide is set aside, after being rolled up tightly and secured with bands of twine. After three days the hide needs to be unrolled and the concoction massage into the 'outer' side of the hide: then re-rolled and allowed to sit for another three days. It is then scraped a final time.

Meanwhile, a firepit must be constructed. It needs to be large enough to hold a thick bed of coals and ashes. In the center of the firepit a hole is excavated that will be large enough to accept the hide for smoking. The coals are raked to the edge of the firepit; the hole is lined with supple willow branches, green grasses and herbs. Then, the hide is "given to" the fire.

The hide is packed into the hole, covered with a support of willow branches, grasses and herbs and the coals carefully raked to surround the hole. For seven days the fire is tended; wood being added to the edges of the firepit and when glowing coals become available they are raked to the edges of what becomes a mound of smouldering wood ash, herbs and sweet grass.

As the sun set on the eve of the eighth day, drumming, chanting and dancing celebrates the tanning process. The fire is allowed to fade away.

One the third morning, after the ceremony, the pit is opened to reveal the hide. It will be grey-brown in colour, soft, supple and redolent with the odours of the smoking. Alternatively, an appropriate piece of commercially tanned leather can be substituted. (Caveat: the chemicals used in commercial tanning can be toxic, use common sense precautions.)

While all the above takes place, sinew needs to be "pulled' to be ready for attaching the drum head to its frame.

Fabricating the drum frame requires a supple wood such as well-aged cedar or redwood. Bender board can be bought at the local lumberyard (DO NOT use so-called pressure treated wood, it is highly toxic) or wafer-thin lengths can be removed from a properly harvested, cured tree. The wood strips should be about four inches wide and between forty-eight and sixty-two inches long.

The strips are sanded and shaped using clamshells or purchased sandpaper: four small holes are awled into the each end of the strips and then they are steamed to obtain the circular shape. This is done by adding stones to a bed of coals and drizzling water upon them to produce steam. Feed the lengths of wood through the steam, to soften it. Carefully bend the wood around a knee and forearm to slowly change the length to a circle.

When the circle-shape has been achieved, butt the ends together and sew with sinew through the pre-drilled holes. The frames need to dry and shrink before attaching the drumhead. This will take two to four weeks.

To begin the assembly, lay the frames on the hide and cut it to fit. Use an awl to punch holes every 1/16-inch around the circumference of the drumheads. Stretch wetted hides over the frames, sew with sinew, and again allow the drums to dry and shrink. A shield can be made using the same procedure.