Inuit Throat Singing at Shepherds of Good Hope

Inuit throat singing, or katajjaq, is a form of musical performance uniquely found among Inuit people. The traditional form consists of two women who sing duets in a close face-to-face formation with no instrumental accompaniment, in an entertaining contest to see who can outlast the other.

In this video, sisters Abigail Carleton and Charlotte Carleton perform traditional Inuit throat singing as part of Shepherds of Good Hope's Inuit Cultural Liaison Program, a partnership with Tungasuvvingat Inuit, and funded by a Seed Grant from the Ontario Trillium Foundation. This grant provides services to Inuit clients staying at Shepherds of Good Hope. This is done by providing cultural interpretation, case planning on a client-to-client basis, assisting in dealing with clients in crisis, and connecting clients with housing resources from other service providers.