KABLOONAS

KABLOONAS
Burial of John Franklin. Author: me

KABLOONAS

Kabloonas is the way in which the Inuit who live in the north part of Canada call those who haven´t their same ascendency.

The first time i read this word was in the book "Fatal Passage" by Ken McGoogan, when, as the result of the conversations between John Rae and some inuit, and trying to find any evidence of the ill-fated Sir John Franklin Expedition, some of then mentioned that they watched how some kabloonas walked to die in the proximities of the river Great Fish.

I wish to publish this blog to order and share all those anecdotes that I´ve been finding in the arctic literature about arctic expeditions. My interest began more than 15 years ago reading a little book of my brother about north and south pole expeditions. I began reading almost all the bibliography about Antarctic expeditions and the superknown expeditions of Scott, Amundsen, Shackleton, etc. After I was captured by the Nansen, Nobile and Engineer Andree. But the most disturbing thing in that little book, full of pictures, was the two pages dedicated to the last Franklin expedition of the S.XIX, on that moment I thought that given the time on which this and others expeditions happened, few or any additional information could be obtained about it. I couldn´t imagine that after those two pages It would be a huge iceberg full of stories, unresolved misteries, anecdotes, etc. I believe that this iceberg, on the contrary than others, would continue growing instead melting.



viernes, 22 de junio de 2012

SIRENAS INUIT / INUIT SIRENS

Según nos adentramos en la historia del ártico inevitable e irresistiblemente nos vemos inmersos en la cultura y tradiciones Inuit.

Las historias de los numerosos contactos Inuit con los Kabloonas en la época de estas primeras expediciones polares son fascinantes, el mismo John Ross  se resisitió a abandonar el lugar donde tropezó por primera vez con una de sus tribus en su primera expedición. La vida de muchos expedicionarios ha dependido directamente de estas personas y gracias al aprendizaje de sus técnicas otros muchos más han podido sobrevivir.

Algo que particularmente no conocía, (de hecho conozco muy pocas cosas de esta cultura, aunque cada vez me estoy sintiendo más atraido por ella) es el "canto gutural". La primera vez que lo he oido ha sido en el documental "Northern Wilderness" de Ray Mears donde dos niñas hacen una demostración de este tipo de canto en el interior de un Igloo ante la mirada perpleja de Ray Mears. Probablemente haya sido uno de los cantos más bonitos que haya oido en mi vida. Este tipo de canto es absolutamente hipnotizante, en algunas canciones suena como un canto de sirena, en otras el ritmo es cási agresivo, otras veces es casi sexual y en otras parece que se cuenta una historia demasiado lejana en el tiempo como para poder explicarla con palabras.
He puesto varios videos presentes en You tube y además he encontrado a una cantante excepcional Tanya Tagaq y parte del repertorio aqui.

NOTA: Puse el nombre del Post antes de leer el artículo de Tanya, luego no me he equivocado mucho en comparar este maravilloso cánto con el de las sirenas.

As we move into the arctic history, inevitably and overwhelmingly we are immersed into the Inuit culture and their traditions.
The numerous contacts between the Inuit and the Kabloonas in the time of that first polar expeditions and how they fascinated the explorers are very interesting. The same rude  John Ross  resisted to leave the place in which he met for first time with one of their tribes in his first expedition to the arctic.
The life of a lot of expeditioners  have depended directly from this people and thanks to learn of their technics more others have could  survived.
Something that I particularly didn´t knew (In fact I know few things about this culture, though I am increasingly feeling more attracted by it) is the “Throat singing”.
The first time I´ve heard this was in the documentary "Northern Wilderness" by Ray Mears, where two girls performance a demonstration of this kind of singing inside an Igloo in front of the sight of a perplex Ray Mears. Likely, this has been one of the most beautiful singing that I ´ve ever heard in my life. The kind of singing is absolutely mesmerizing, some of the songs sounds like siren singing (though I ´ve think that I ´ve never hear any), in others the rhythm is nearly aggressive, others the sound is nearly sexual and in others it seems as if the singers were telling one ancient story too far in the time as to be expressed in words.

I ´ve found this videos in You Tube and a great artist called Tanya Tagaq an her songs here. (see above).

NOTE: I put the name of the post before reading the article about Tanya, so I am not very wrong comparing this wonderful singing with that of the sirens.

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