1

Throat Singing

Throat singing is normally done by two women facing each other, standing very close so that their voices echo back and forth. The two people can also use a metal pot, causing the echo or base. They sing under their breath (one sounds like whispering) and usually start by saying 'qiurvaa'. They tell a short story or play on words then they start closing it off with 'humpaa humpaa'.

2

As they are closing the singing, the pitch of their voice can vary. Most of the people doing the throat singing in this exhibit are descendents of an Inuit group named Caribou Eskimos by Knud Rasmussen of the Fifth Thule Expedition. Most of them have met or heard of Knud Rasmussen, his traveling companions and their dog teams.

3

Inuit camp receiving a visit from J.B. Tyrrell's expedition
1893
Dubawnt Lake, Nunavut, Canada
AUDIO ATTACHMENT
TEXT ATTACHMENT


Credits:
Photographer: Joseph Burr Tyrrell
# PA045379 National Archives of Canada

4

Naiomi Ijji Itqilik and Winnie Tatja throat singing.

This recording throat singing starts at line fifteen at ma-ngu-ngag-ju-a-ri-a-qan-ngit-su-ga-lu-gu

ma-ngu-ngag-ju-a-ri-a-qan-ngit-su-ga-lu-gu
su-na-uv-va-guuq uq-pik-sun-nit-tu-mik
ar-nan-ngii-ngu-sa-nign-naq-pan-mat
I-nuk kan-na a-ki-mi nga-ngiq-tuq
ki-si-a-ni ik-kii-ngit-ku-vit ti-gu-ju-maa-ran-ni
I-nuk kan-na I-nuk um-paa um-paa
um-paa um-paa um-paa um-paa
um-paa um-paa um-paa um-paa
um-paa um-paa um-paa
hil-la hil-la hil-la hil-la hil-la hil-la
hil-la hil-la hal-la hal-la hal-la hal-la
hal-la hal-la um-paa hal-la um-paa
hal-la um-paa hal-la um-pa
um-pa um-pa um-pa um-pa

Beginning of a throat singing starts here normally:

qi-ur-vaa pa-ni tu-i-na ku-lu qi-mi tu-i-na ku-lu
qi-ur-vaa qi-ur-vaa-li qu-ma-ja ri-si-mi a-ju-na-tu
ki-si-mi nat-ti-ju-a ki-si-mi ma-ma-ngi-tu ki-si-mi
qa-lu-ja-ri-a-lik i-qi-a-na-ta-pa-ma
ti-ri-a-ku-lug-li qa-nu-i-li-lu-gu-li-tuq
pi-la-u-mi-la-gu-li-tuq ja-gi-ja ka-li-ga
pi-su-tu-a-li-ra-mi ma-li-tu-a-li-ga-mi
a-ma-u-ga-ju-i-lu at-sit-pat-sin-naq-tu-mig-lu
qut-tik-pak-sin-naq-tu-mig-lu
qat-tik-pak-sin-naq-tu-mig-lu a-li-ril-la-ma-ta
qu-li-ri-ta-ma-ta a-ja-nu a-vu-ni
a-i-paq-pit a-vu-nga tu-nu-a-nu a-vu-nga
Pu-kak-lu-tik ka-tut-tu-aq-pak-lu-tit
qi-ngup-pi-a-ra-su-la-uq-pag-lu-tit

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Two Inuit men and a woman with her baby
1926
Baker Lake, Nunavut, Canada
AUDIO ATTACHMENT
TEXT ATTACHMENT


Credits:
Burwash, L.T. Major
# PA099420 National Archives of Canada

6

The following qiurvaa text is written by breaking it up into syllable sounds. When writing out the sentences there would of course be no hyphens in the words. For example qi-ur-vaa would be written qiurvaa, etc. The Roman Orthography and syllabic orthography are being both used to illustrate the throat singing.

qi-ur-vaa pa-li tu-i-na ku-lu
qi-mi tu-i-na ku-lu
qi-ur-vaa qi-ur-vaa-li qu-ma-ja ki-si-mi
a-ju-na-tu ki-si-mi nat-ti-ju-a ki-si-mi
ma-ma-ngi-tu ki-si-mi qa-lu-ja-ri-a-nga-li
i-qi-a-na-la-pa'man
ti-ri-a-ku-lug-li-tuq qa-nuq
i-li-lu-gu-li-tuq
pi-la-u-mi-la-gu-li-tuq ja-gi-ja ka-li-nga
pi-su-tu-a-li-ra-mi ma-li-tu-a-li-ga-mi
a-ma-u-gaa-ju-i-lu at-sit-pat-sin-naq-tu-mig-lu
qut-sik-pak-sin-naq-tu-mig-lu a-li-riil-la-ma-ta
qu-li-riil-la-ma-ta a-ja-nut a-vu-ni
a-ip-paq-pit a-vu-nga tu-nu-a-nut
a-vu-nga puu-qaq-lu-tit
qa-tut-tu-aq-pak-lu-tin
ki-ngup-pi-a-ra-su-la-uq-pag-lu-tit
ma-ngu-ngaq-ju-a'tu-a-nga
qu-an-na-ngit-su-ga-lu-gu
su-na-uv-va-guuq uq-pik-sun-nit-tu-mit
an-nan-ngin-nguq-sa-gin-naq-pan-mat
I-nuk kan-na a-ki-mi na-ngit-tuq ki-si-a-ni
i-kin-ngit-qu-vit ti-gu-ju-maa-ran-ni
I-nuk kan-na Inuk kan-na um-pa um-pa
I-nuk kan-na I-nuk um-paa um-paa
um-paa um-paa um-paa um-paa
um-paa um-paa um-paa um-paa
um-paa um-paa um-paa
hil-la hil-la hil-la hil-la hil-la hil-la
hil-la hil-la hal-la hal-la hal-la hal-la
hal-la hal-la um-paa hal-la um-paa
hal-la um-paa hal-la um-pa
um-pa um-pa um-pa um-pa

Throat singers Betty Inukpaaluk Pirjuaq and Hattie Atungat Atutuvaa of Baker Lake, NU, Canada

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Two Inuuk ladies wearing caribou amautiik
1926
Baker Lake, Nunavut, Canada
AUDIO ATTACHMENT
TEXT ATTACHMENT


Credits:
Burwash, L.T. Major
# PA099414 National Archives of Canada

8

Naomi Ijji Itqilik and Winnie Tatja of Baker Lake throat singing.

qiurvaa pali tuina kulu
qiimi tuina kulu
qiurvaa qiurvaali
qumaja kisimi ajunatu
kisimi nattijua kisimi mamangitu
kisimi qalujarialik iqianatapama
tiriakulugli qanuililugulituq
pilaumilagulituq jagija kaliga
pisutualirami malitualigami
amaugajuilu atsitpatsinnaqtumiglu
quttikpaksinnaqtumiglu
qattikpaksinnaqtumiglu alirillamata
quliritamata ajanu avuni
aipaqpit avunga tunuanu avunga
Pukaklutik katuttuaqpaklutit
qinguppiarasulauqpaglutit
mangungagjuatuaq
quaqna'tuusugalugu
sunauvvaguuq uqpiksunnittumik
arnanngiinngunsaginnaqpanmat
Inuk kanna akimi ngangiqtuq
kisiani ikkiingitkuvit tigujumaaranni
Inuk kanna Inuk kanna umpaa umpaa
umpaa umpaa umpaa umpaa
umpaa umpaa umpaa umpaa
umpaa umpaa umpaa
hilla hilla hilla hilla hilla hilla
hilla hilla halla halla halla halla
halla halla umpaa halla umpaa
halla umpaa halla umpa
umpa umpa umpa umpa
umpi umpi umpi umpi umpi umpi umpi umpi umpi umpi umpi umpi umpi umpi itit hala
umpi itit hala
umpi itit hala

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Ittusaarjuaq finishing an iglu
1922
Iglulik, Nunavut, Canada
AUDIO ATTACHMENT


Credits:
Freuchen, Peter
Photo #0243. The Fifth Thule Expedition
National Museum of Denmark

10

Betty Inukpaaluk Pirjuaq and Hattie Atungat Atutuvaa of Baker Lake throat singing

qi-ur-vaa pa-li tu-i-na ku-lu qi-mi tu-i-na ku-lu
qi-ur-vaa qi-ur-vaa-li qu-ma-ja ri-si-mi a-ju-na-tu
ki-si-mi nat-ti-ju-a ki-si-mi ma-ma-ngi-tu ki-si-mi
qa-lu-ja-ri-a-lik i-qi-a-na-ta-pa-ma
ti-ri-a-ku-lug-li qa-nu i-li-lu-gu-li-tuq
pi-la-u-mi-la-gu-li-tuq ja-gi-ja ka-li-ga
pi-su-tu-a-li-ra-mi ma-li-tu-a-li-ga-mi
a-ma-u-ga-ju-i-lu at-sit-pat-sin-naq-tu-mig-lu
qut-sik-pak-sin-naq-tu-mig-lu
qat-tik-pak-sin-naq-tu-mig-lu a-li-ril-la-ma-ta
qu-li-ri-ta-ma-ta a-ja-nu a-vu-ni
a-i-paq-pit a-vu-nga tu-nu-a-nu a-vu-nga
Pu-kak-lu-tik ka-tut-tu-aq-pak-lu-tit
qi-ngup-pi-a-ra-su-la-uq-pag-lu-tit
ma-ngu-ngag-ju-a-ri-a-qan-ngit-su-ga-lu-gu
su-na-uv-va-guuq uq-pik-sun-nit-tu-mik
ar-nan-ngii-ngu-sa-nign-naq-pan-mat
I-nuk kan-na a-ki-mi nga-ngiq-tuq
ki-si-a-ni ik-kii-ngit-ku-vit ti-gu-ju-maa-ran-ni
I-nuk kan-na I-nuk kan-na um-paa um-paa
um-paa um-paa um-paa um-paa
um-paa um-paa um-paa um-paa
um-paa um-paa um-paa
hil-la hil-la hil-la hil-la hil-la hil-la
hil-la hil-la hal-la hal-la hal-la hal-la
hal-la hal-la um-paa hal-la um-paa
hal-la um-paa hal-la um-pa
um-pa um-pa um-pa um-pa
umpi umpi umpi umpi umpi umpi
umpi umpi umpi umpi umpi umpi
umpi umpi itit hala
umpi itit hala
umpi itit hala

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Harvaqtuurmiut couple standing outisde their camp
1922
Harvaqtuuq (Kazan Falls), Nunavut, Canada
AUDIO ATTACHMENT


Credits:
Rasmussen, Knud
Photo #1379. The Fifth Thule Expedition
National Museum of Denmark

12

Betty Inukpaaluk Pirjuaq and Hattie Atungat Atutuvaa of Baker Lake throat singing.

qi-ur-vaa pa-li tu-i-na ku-lu qi-mi tu-i-na ku-lu
qi-ur-vaa qi-ur-vaa-li qu-ma-ja ki-si-mi
a-ju-na-tu ki-si-mi nat-ti-ju-a ki-si-mi
ma-ma-ngi-tu ki-si-mi qa-lu-ja-ri-a-nga-li
i-qi-a-na-la-pa'man
ti-ri-a-ku-lug-li-tuq qa-nuq i-li-lu-gu-li-tuq
pi-la-u-mi-la-gu-li-tuq ja-gi-ja ka-li-nga
pi-su-tu-a-li-ra-mi ma-li-tu-a-li-ga-mi
a-ma-u-gaa-ju-i-lu at-sit-pat-sin-naq-tu-mig-lu
qat-sik-pak-sin-naq-tu-mig-lu a-li-riil-la-ma-ta
qu-li-riil-la-ma-ta a-ja-nut a-vu-ni
a-ip-paq-pit a-vu-nga tu-nu-a-nut
a-vu-nga puu-qaq-lu-tit
qa-tut-tu-aq-pak-lu-tin
ki-ngup-pi-a-ra-su-la-uq-pag-lu-tit
ma-ngu-ngaq-ju-a'tu-a-nga
qu-an-na-ngit-su-ga-lu-gu
su-na-uv-va-guuq uq-pik-sun-nit-tu-mit
an-nan-ngin-nguq-sa-gin-naq-pan-mat
I-nuk kan-na a-ki-mi na-ngit-tuq ki-si-a-ni
i-kin-ngit-qu-vit ti-gu-ju-maa-ran-ni
I-nuk kan-na Inuk kan-na um-pa um-pa