The Inuit people were some of the last to cross the Bering Land Bridge, about 6,000 years ago. Inqualuit is the territorial capital, and contains about 5,000 residents. Can you imagine living in such a sparsely populated area 100 or even 50 years ago? How about 1,000 years ago before TV, radio, or the internet?
What would you do at night, after twilight had fallen? The Inuit people have a strong musical heritage, and it is centered on singing, dancing, and the drum.
The Inuit drum or Qilaut was traditionally made from driftwood and caribou skin. The caribou skin was stretched over the driftwood frame, and lashed with sinew. It would often have a handle, like a paddle drum, covered in walrus or seal skin. Drumming and dancing go together so closely in Inuit life that most references called it Inuit Drum Dancing.
In times past the men were the drummers, but now women and men drum together. Drum dancing is also used in ceremonies, like marriages, births, and a boy’s first hunt.
The women also have a singing competition called throat singing, or kattajjag. This is done by imitating the sounds of the arctic lands; wind, ocean, geese, Seagulls, etc. The competition is to see who can go the longest without making a mistake, and usually ends in laughter! Today's Inuit are very involved with keeping their unique culture and language alive.
When missionaries first came to the northern territories, drum dancing and throat singing were banned, and the people were encouraged to give up their nomadic way of life. Though the Inuit now live in settled communities, drive 4 wheelers, and snowmobiles, and even have drums made of synthetic materials, they have taken back control of their own lives.
The Inuit people have a truly circumpolar voice. An Inuit from Russia, Greenland, the Arctic, or Canada can all understand each other's language. They are preserving the ancient stories, the ancient songs and dances, not only through personal story telling, but by using the Inuit language in the classroom, and teaching their culture to the children through modern means like the internet, films, and the Aboriginal Peoples Television Network.
The drum seems to be a symbol of the Inuit people. While doing this research I saw the Qilaut at the top of the Nunavet Territory home page and when I looked at Inuit school websites, there was the drum. From top to bottom the drum is part of Inuit culture, past, present, and future.
Donnalee Hilden
