A Musical Trip: An Analysis of Inupiaq Music
Today I will be analyzing some music from the Inupiaq culture. Last semester I took an Alaska Native Studies class with UAF. I found the class to be pretty interesting because I did not know a lot about Alaska Native culture before. When I took the class we didn't really go into the traditional music of certain cultures so this sparked my interest.
Drumming is very important to the Inupiaq Culture. It is how they tell stories, folktales, and honor whales that they hunt. The Inupiat use a specific drum called the qilaun that is made from the lining of whale or walrus stomach and driftwood. Since the Inupiat believe that the drum is alive and has spirit they uphold an utmost respect for it and feed it water to keep it alive. The mumiq is the stick that it is played with. The qilaun symbolizes the connection between the people, animals, and environment. Most dances usually have 5 to 20 male drummers and are accompanied by singing. Inupiat elders say that the drumming started because of whale hunting. The Inupiat would use the drum performances to calm the whales and encourage a successful hunting season. This tradition still continues today.
Drumming is very important to the Inupiaq Culture. It is how they tell stories, folktales, and honor whales that they hunt. The Inupiat use a specific drum called the qilaun that is made from the lining of whale or walrus stomach and driftwood. Since the Inupiat believe that the drum is alive and has spirit they uphold an utmost respect for it and feed it water to keep it alive. The mumiq is the stick that it is played with. The qilaun symbolizes the connection between the people, animals, and environment. Most dances usually have 5 to 20 male drummers and are accompanied by singing. Inupiat elders say that the drumming started because of whale hunting. The Inupiat would use the drum performances to calm the whales and encourage a successful hunting season. This tradition still continues today.
Above is a picture of the traditional qilaun and mumiq.
This is a link to a series of performances or dances done by the Tikigaq Tribe in 2017. My analysis is on the first and third performance.
The first thing that is notable in the first performance is the change in timbre. When they start playing the qilaun it sounds like a clicking sound. However ten seconds later it changes and starts to sound like a pounding sound or one that you would here from an actual drum. Another change that is very noticeable with the change in timbre of the qilaun is the change in dynamics. The dance starts out quieter but it quickly gets much louder and the lyrics are also sung much louder.
The first thing that is notable in the third performance is that the timbre changes exactly like it did in the first performance. It starts out as a clicking sound and then as soon as more dancers join it changes to a louder pounding sound. Another noticeable change is the change in tempo. When more dancers take the stage the song gets much faster, the lyrics are sad faster, and it gets louder.
Iñupiaq Drumming and Global Warming. (2025, February 14). Climate in Global Cultures and Histories: Promoting Climate Literacy Across Disciplines. Retrieved Month Date, Year, from https://www.science.smith.edu/climatelit/inupiaq-drumming-and-global-warming/.
YouTube. (2019). Listen & Learn Iñupiaq (5 of 6): Qiḷaun, Sauyaq (Drum). YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lt2mDzsSG6Q
Hi Benjamin, I think you did a really great job describing Inupiaq music! I think you did a good job discussing the spiritual and cultural elements while also discussing the more technical musical elements. Something that I found interesting about the two performances you chose is how they each only had one dancer rather than multiple.
ReplyDeleteI really appreciate reading your blog because I am so interested in Alaskan Native culture (because I am from the Plains Tribes in Montana, we are vastly different). I love how you explained that the qilaun symbolizes the connection between people and animals because yes, interconnectedness is so important. I would like to add on to your great blog about the melody of the drums and dancers. They move as one both dancers and the melody of the song they are dancing to. While the melody is very steady, it is the added timbre to the drum as they hit it at either a different position or pressure to make a much louder sound. Great job on your blog.
ReplyDeleteReading your blog really caught my interest. I think the tools used to create the drum (the whale stomach lining and wood) are ingenuitive and creative. It really makes me wonder who stopped and said 'hey, if i peel apart this whale, I can make a drum!'. HAHA. I love that you added that it shows symbolic respect to the whales. It is equally as interesting to know that they also feed these drums! How interesting the world can be!
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