Introduction: A Tradition of Words

For the First Nations, the oral tradition plays an essential role. Through chants, legends and tales, elders are able to communicate knowledge about the origins of the world to a younger generation. The spoken word makes it possible to transmit lore and skills that have been acquired over the millennia and become part of the collective memory.

This section presents some of the myths and legends told by various Amerindian and Inuit populations in Quebec. Myths and legends, like stories, have often travelled far as part of the oral tradition and there exist several versions of the examples presented here.

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