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Fond du Lac Arts is a series exploring the stories, creative expression, and craftsmanship of Fond du Lac artists from a range of disciplines.
This project is produced by AMPERS, Diverse Radio for Minnesota’s Communities in partnership with WGZS, the Radio Voice of the Fond du Lac Band of Lake Superior Chippewa, with support from the Minnesota Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund.
INTRO: You are listening to Fond du Lac Arts: Community through the Creative Arts.
HOST: Rizal Agatone Howes started the 2025-26 school year as a college freshman at the University of Minnesota - Morris.
RIZAL AGATON-HOWES: So I showed up to freshman orientation, and I was really asking a lot of people whether there was a drum group and whether there was people who were interested in that.
HOST: Back at his home in Fond du Lac, his high school Ojibwe language teacher and a cousin had taught him songs. And he traveled around with drum groups. He was hoping to get involved in the college group, only there wasn't one. So he and another student started putting out the word, and within a month they also had a drum.
RIZAL AGATON-HOWES: There was a student, an alumni, who about five years ago, gifted this drum to the canvas in hopes that a drum group could get started at some point.
HOST: A college drum group.
RIZAL AGATON-HOWES: We have quite the intertribal mix, about half Ojibwe and half Lakota. I am Ojibwe and Muskogee. I spent a little bit of learning different languages and teaching people how to sing within different tribal contexts.
HOST: The group also gave Rizal an opportunity to compose.
RIZAL AGATON-HOWES: All of the composing that I've done so far has been within the context of Ojibwe types of songs and Ojibwe-mowin language. There was one straight or no word song that I came up with when I was taking a break from doing homework a few months ago. I just started humming, and I came up with a song in 10 minutes.
HOST: Rizal says for many of the members, this is their first time being in a drum group, and they've already performed at five powwows and two round dances.
RIZAL AGATON-HOWES: One of the cool parts has really been seeing how people come out of their shell and seeing how people come to be really involved with their own cultures.
OUTRO: Fond du Lac Arts is produced by AMPERS and WGZS, the radio voice of the Fond du Lac Band of Lake Superior Chippewa, with support from the Minnesota Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund.