Milford chronicle., 1962-10-12
Out Of IgIoo
And Onto Tupe
By MARY CAMPBELL
lD Nax.efaofurac Arifqr


two-year effort to record her
states Eskimo music before IT sue
cumbs to advancing civilization.
"Such a project as the record
ing. transcribing into notation and
analyzing of Eskimo music must
be undertaken now" says M r $.
John Koranda, "for it is almost
already too late to obtain much OF
the real folk music
Mrs. Koranda is especially in
terested in collecting old ritual
songs. but she says, My collec-
ton includes many songs or re-
cent composition in the traditional
native style. Song and dance are
still a challenging activity - the
villages and Eskimos take great
pride in composing new songs and
dances.
Occasionally a phrase in one OF
these songs may sound suspicious
ly like a Christian hymn tune or
a popular song. This is to be ex-
pected, for the Eskimo is no long
er isolated. Mail order catalogs,
radio, the church and DEW-line
civilization have modified the folk
art forms understaEdably.
Shy Singers
Collecting the old songs on her
tape recorder isn't made any
easier by the Eskimos who have
accepted Christianity, Mrs. Koran
da says. They often are reluctant
to sing any of the pre-Christian
ritualistic pagan songs for her.
And they're particularly adverse to
singing any of the humorous game
or ridicule songs which have
slightly risque words.
Mrs. Koranda terms the impor-
tance of music to the Eskimos "al-
most awe inspiring" She says. mo
task, duty, game, social event or
act of worship was without its
musical expression except this:
the Eskimo apparently sang no
war songs or love songs.
More To Be Done
This project was undertaken
actually as a small contribution to
the better understanding of the
Alaskan Eskimo culture"
Her work. which is part of the
Alaska Festival of Music re-
search program, received a two
year $1,000 grant from the Lous-
sac Foundation in Anchorage last
fall.
Mrs. Koranda, former head of
the University of Alaska music de-
partment, had financed her on
research into Eskimo music in the
past. She now teaches music in
Do1D,a, biob oobooI apd ic the xrifo
of DR.. John Koranda, botanist with
the university's experiment station
in Palmer.
Respects EskimOs
II have tremendous respect for
the Eskimo people as a race"
Mrs. Koranda says. 'One cannot
experience an Arctic or sub-Arctic
winter without marveling at the
Eskimo's adaptation to his bleak
environment
Alaskan Eskimo music is of in
terest to me primarily because the
Eskimo culture as whole is
fascinating"
The music itself Mrs. Koranda
describes as "melodic, chant-like,
primarily irregular in rhythm,
"It is sung in unison or unison
at the octave. The melodies are
often pentatonic or even limited to
three or four notes.
Drums and Rattles
1.-The accompaniment is the tam
bourine-like drum, the ONLY
Eskimo instrument. This is large
hoop of willow across which is
stretched a membrane-the peri
toneum of the seal, for example
The drum, which has a handle, is
usually struck from beneath the
frame by a wooden wand t h e
drum head and rim are both
touched by the wand in this strong
stroke.
There are box drums, box
shaped and decorated, which are
used for the ritual wolf dances.
Rattles may also be used. B u
there are no other native instru-
ments."
Mittens a Must
Mrs. Koranda says, though there
are songs for hunting power, boat
ing, blanket tossing and game
playing, most of the Eskimo songs
are accompaniment to dances.
And she comments that the
dancers retain at least one custom
from the pre-Christian era. "The
Eskimo dancers | have seen AL
WAYS wear mittens. These may
be specially designed gauntlets
adorned with bird beaks and ivory
amulets or they may be the or
dinary garden variety of canvas
gloves.
zone theory advanced for this
unusual practice is that the hands
do all the menial. daily tasks, so
traditonally one covers them
when dancing, to please the inua,
or spirits"