Traditionally, Inuit did not have a written language. All of Inuit history, knowledge, values and beliefs were passed on from generation to generation by word of mouth. The information was contained in both songs and stories, repeated to children by their parents and grandparents as they grew.

Knowledge, traditions, stories, legends, myths, songs, beliefs and history were passed on. Often, a family camp would have an Elder who was the historian and storyteller. There were also others within the camp who told stories. Stories and songs were shared at special celebrations or during storms, but were also told every day as a way to get children to sleep or behave, or to give instruction in hunting or sewing skills. The storyteller often started by saying, “I will tell it as it was told to me, I will not alter it....” There would often be chants and songs in the story which the listeners got involved with through facial expressions, body language, murmurs of wonder and a great deal of enjoyment.

Some family groups state that one must never change the words of a story, that one must always tell it in the traditional way. But, if a legend with adult content was not appropriate for children, then a simpler version would be told.

Hunting stories were often told in the evenings after a hunt as the men related what happened during the day. Young boys would listen, learning the ways of their fathers and given advice on how to do something better during a hunt. This was important as it helped them see that the observation of a hunt continued in the evenings as it was recalled. The men would also bring up previous hunts or stories of hunts that they had heard. Techniques and strategies were honed not just at the time of the kill.

In families where storytelling was common, the children were more likely to be storytellers. As the lifestyle of the Inuit changed, this chain was broken in some families. There was a period after Inuit moved into larger communities and children started to go to school that the stories were almost forgotten. By telling stories yourself and by having storytellers invited to your classroom, Inuuqatigiit is an excellent way to reintroduce the oral traditions of the Inuit.

Before the writing system was introduced in the Canadian Arctic, story telling was one way in which a small portion of our history was preserved. The Elder women were especially noted for their ability to recite Inuit legends in a way that made a person feel as though he were part of that story. Inuit legends, like any other stories, carry with them a lesson or principle to remember, and I believe that this is why they were quite important to our people.

Mark Kalluak, Uqaqta, December 19852

The limits of my language are the limits of my world.

Wittgenstein Ludwig