View source for Inuit throat singing

==History==
Originally, katajjaq was a form of entertainment among Inuit women while men were away on hunting trips, and it was regarded more as a type of vocal or breathing game in the Inuit culture rather than a form of music.<ref>Nattiez, Jean-Jacques (1987), "Musicologie générale et sémiologue", Translated by Carolyn Abbate, 1990 (Princeton, N.J.: [[Princeton University Press]]), {{ISBN|0-691-02714-5}}</ref><ref name="Inuit">{{cite web|title=Inuit Throat Singing|url=http://www.mustrad.org.uk/articles/inuit.htm|publisher=mustrad.org.uk|first=Bruno|last=Deschênes|date=1 March 2002|access-date=15 June 2019|archive-date=3 August 2002|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20020803064325/http://www.mustrad.org.uk/articles/inuit.htm|url-status=dead}}</ref> Katajjiniq sound can create an impression of rhythmic and harmonious panting. Inuit throat singing can also imitate wind, water, animal sounds and other everyday sounds.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Katajjaniq - Répertoire du patrimoine culturel du Québec |url=https://www.patrimoine-culturel.gouv.qc.ca/rpcq/detail.do?id=3&methode=consulter&type=imma |access-date=2022-08-10 |website=www.patrimoine-culturel.gouv.qc.ca}}</ref>

<!-- The katajjaniq predates the period of contact with the first Europeans who explored the Quebec Arctic at the beginning of the 19th century.
 -->This playful practice testifies to a long oral tradition of the women of [[Nunavik]], a territory located in the North Québec region. From generation to generation, the Inuit have passed on knowledge of nature and the environment as well as the techniques associated with throat singing. Katajjaniq has rare, even unique, expressive characteristics.  Even though Inuit throat singing is no longer performed to hasten the return of hunters, attract animals or influence the natural elements, they still retain some of their original functions, such as entertainment and group cohesion.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Katajjaniq, the Inuit throat singing, designated as the first element of Québec’s intangible heritage - News - Avataq |url=https://www.avataq.qc.ca/en/content/view/full/2949 |access-date=2022-08-10 |website=www.avataq.qc.ca}}</ref>

Very much alive in the Inuit communities of Quebec, the katajjaniq still marks the high points of [[Nunavik]] people since it is present in calendar holidays, cultural celebrations and important political events. A source of great pride and a powerful symbol of identity, the katajjaniq is a distinctive expression of Nunavik culture. The Inuit recognize katajjaniq as part of their cultural heritage.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Inuit throat singing gets cultural heritage status in Quebec {{!}} Globalnews.ca |url=https://globalnews.ca/news/1116482/throat-singing-gets-cultural-heritage-status-in-quebec/ |access-date=2022-08-10 |website=Global News |language=en-US}}</ref>