storytelling customs of Canada
For many North American First Nations Groups, these stories are generally told during the colder winter months, when an abundance of things to hunt turned into long amounts of leisure time. However this was not the case for all communities. the plains people would tell stories as a part of their summertime sun dance ceremonies. Supernatural elements and allegorical devices are used (which is a key pattern in storytelling worldwide) as exciting tools for memorisation. Dance, songs word play and moral lessons are commonly found as well. For the Inuit, oral history is often coupled with throat singing. Throat singing incorporates a variety of tones, pitches and animal sounds worked in, and for the purposes of the story may give the listener a clearer insight into the character(s). Many communities had specific people tasked with the witnessing and memorizing of historical events.
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An adorable example of Inuit throat singing.
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