Background and History
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The Alaskan Inuit, or Eskimo people, live along the coasts of Alaska. They live in some of the coldest regions of the world, in the far north. Their culture is based in hunting, especially for whales and other big animals.
Inuit music is usually called Eskimo music and is one of the simplest Native American musical traditions (8). Eskimo music uses two types of drums. One is a round drum with a top made from a whale or caribou’s stomach (8). The other kind of drum is rectangular, and has eagle feathers attached to it as decorations because it represents the heartbeat of an eagle (8). There are also a few smaller instruments used in Eskimo music. Their rattles usually have animal teeth, shells, or beaks inside and are carved from bone (8). The Inuit sometimes use bullroarers, like the Navajo, but their main instruments are drums and rattles (8). The Alaskan Inuit have several purposes for their music. They have social musical celebrations, which happen during the day and are for everyone to participate in (8). Nighttime music is considered a religious ceremony, and is only for certain members of the tribe (8). There are also daytime dances that are just for tribe members to enjoy and are not for any religious or social purpose (8). They sing from their throat, which creates a deep sound different from regular singing (9). Their music is simple chanting with basic instrumentals, which makes it different from other Native American traditions. |
The Round Drum
The round drum, or frame drum, is sometimes called a tchauyuk in the Inuit language (8). It is different from most other Native American drums because it does not have a bottom. Instead, the round drum is simple. It is made from a piece of cloth, nailed to a circular wooden frame (8). The drum is waved up and down while it is played, and hit while it is waved to make sound (10). You can watch a video of the drum being played here, and then try to make the same sound using the drum in the middle of the room.
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The Rectangle Drum
The Inuits also use a very unique drum in their ceremonies, called a kalukhaq in Inuit (8). It is not a circular drum, but is made in a rectangular shape. This drum hangs from the ceiling while a drummer plays it from the bottom (8). The kalukhaq represents an eagle in traditional Inuit ceremonies, so it is decorated with feathers8. Not much is known about this rectangular drum, but would be interesting to play a drum hanging from a ceiling!
Throat Singing
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There is a special technique in Inuit music. Songs are sung from the throat instead of just with a voice (9). The sound is deeper and raspier than regular singing. It also sounds more like yelling or chanting loudly than traditional singing (9). This way of singing makes Inuit music intense—with just a drum beating and singers chanting, the simple music is very powerful.
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Clothing
Alaska is known for its very, very cold temperatures. Since the Inuit hunt big animals and need warm outfits, their traditional clothes are made from heavy animal furs, which can be seen in the photo (11). When Inuits participate in ceremonies and dances, they tie rattles to their heavy clothing (8). This creates rhythmic noises as they dance, and adds to the already rare outfit.
References
8. Diamond, Beverly. “Inuit [Eskimo].” Oxford Music Online. N.p., n.d. Web. 11 Dec. 2014. 9. Cora, Clint. Eskimo Inuit Throat Music. N.p., 2006. Film. 10. Inuit Drumming-Inuit Cultural Online Resource Video. N.p., 2010. Film. 11. Package-WesternArcticExplorer-1.jpg (JPEG Image, 901 × 600 Pixels) - Scaled (0%). N.p. Web. 11 Dec. 2014. |
Other Photos and Videos: Retrieved From
Flute Photo: 6853998_1_l.jpg (JPEG Image, 600 × 254 Pixels) - Scaled (0%). N.p. Web. 11 Dec. 2014. http://www.liveauctioneers.com/item/6853998 Drum Photo: Drum_inuit.jpg (JPEG Image, 360 × 356 Pixels) - Scaled (0%). N.p. Web. 11 Dec. 2014. http://firstpeoplesofcanada.com/fp_groups/fp_inuit5.html Dance Video: Eskimo Dance. N.p., 2007. Film. Throat Singing Demonstration: Eskimo Inuit Throat Music. N.p., 2006. Film. Rattle Photo: Inuit-Rattle-Red.jpg (JPEG Image, 640 × 480 Pixels) - Scaled (0%). N.p. Web. 11 Dec. 2014. http://www.missiondelrey.com/native-american-inuit-rattle-11.html |