SELECTED THESES ON THE CIRCUMPOLAR ARCTIC

The aim of this study is to illustrate how Inuit drum dance yields insight into itself and the larger society as it is manifested in performance. Specifically, an appreciation of Inuit drum dance entails the intent to make sense out of the dance not only by an examination of its grammatical structure, historical development, and place or function within a particular society, but also to examine how Inuit drum dance acts as a unique vehicle for making meaning through the presentation of public images, and to show how the culture is generated in accordance with the degree to which these public images are successfully shared, adapted or rejected. Accordingly, the basic assumption in this study is that the dance, the culture and the dancer are inseparable. Although these three distinct domains are considered separately and at length, a multi-dimensional analytical framework developed in the field of ethnomusicology serves to synthesize these separate lines of research into an integrated whole. Part I of this five-part study, sets the stage for investigation by discussing theoretical issues and ethnographic procedures. Part II analyzes the normative, grammatical movement structure. However, because access to Inuit drum dance tradition does not exist in formal theory, and its practice today is relatively limited, I attempt to reconstruct these norms with a review of the historical documents. Part III presents an analysis of the sociocultural conventions that frame and inform Inuit drum dance. As necessary background to this contextual analysis, Part III also considers how drum dance is manifested in accordance with Inuit belief systems, ideologies and socioeconomic conditions. This section concludes with a historical perspective whose aim is to explain how the significance of the dance has altered over time, especially under the historical influences of the whalers, fur traders and missionaries. Part IV describes two actual drum dance events, comparing and contrasting them as a way of emphasising the formal integrity of the dance form, as well as the flexible range of variations it can accommodate by dancers dancing the dance in specific social contexts. Finally, Part V presents both a summary of the research and a statement of its potential importance for future Inuit and dance ethnologists.