The Mankillers

The Mankillers drum group started in 1991 at a gathering at Captain Jack's Stronghold in Northern California by women who were at the time singing with the Humboldt State University Indian Student Drum and the Red Cedar drum of Arcata, California. In some tribal traditions, women's voices join with men's to create beautiful harmonies and backgrounds for the songs of our Indigenous nations. There have been forgotten traditions of women's warrior society singers, as evidenced by early etchings of Cree women's drum societies as far back as the early 1700's. Modern warrior society singers, such as the Red Drum Women Society Singers of Lake Andes, South Dakota , exist today due to the genetic memory and traditions of their members.



The role of women has changed in tribal societies since contact. In our Nations, women have remained strong, vital parts of society, existing in harmony with men and in our many roles: wives, mothers, daughters, children, aunties, sisters, cousins, and granddaughters. While we respect traditions in which women do not sing around a drum, we maintain that women have been singing around a drum in the traditions of many tribes and Nations.



The name "mankiller" is a traditional Cherokee warrior name given upon successful completion of battle. We are women warriors, seeking to create healthy communities and relationships in our lives and the lives of others around us. We are wives, mothers, daughters, aunties, granddaughters; we are educators, students, artists, activists, scientists, dancers, poets and storytellers.



The Mankillers represent many tribes and Nations from across this land, including Yaqui, Yurok, Karuk, Hupa, Apache, Paiute, Shoshone, Jemez Pueblo, Taos Pueblo, Raramuri, Wintu, Chicana, Muskogee Creek, Seminole, Cherokee, Choctaw, and Yankton Sioux. We believe that in this land of Indigenous culture, there are no boundaries, and that Indigenous peoples populate the Americas, whether the acculturized language is English, Spanish, or French.



Our three cd's, All Woman Northern Drum (1997), Comin' To Getcha (1999) and Killing You Softly (2001), are currently available through major Native distributors and our website, www.themankillers.com