Critical Reading Review 3

Przybylski, Liz. “Throat Singer Tanya Tagaq Loudly Combats Indigenous Stereotypes.” KCET. September 8, 2016. https://www.kcet.org/shows/artbound/tanya-tagaq-nanook-of-the-north-throat-singer

 Summary:
Tanya Tagaq, a modern day Inuit throat singer and performer created a performance piece called "Nanook of the North," which is mostly improvised and is described as a soundscape. The film it's named after is, in general, a stereotypical representation of Inuit life, but Tanya claims that it "conveys a sense of living with the landscape that she builds upon." The article then goes on to talk about how Tanya essentially taught herself how to throat sing through copying recordings and formed her own style of throat singing where she sang alone instead of with a partner, as is traditional in throat singing. Finally, the article concludes by talking about Tanya's involvement with feminism and social justice (specifically in relation to the high crime rates against indigenous people).

Discussion Question:
Do you agree with Tanya's decision to name her piece after a movie that portrayed Inuit people poorly? Are there benefits to changing the movie's legacy or negatives to associating her performance with it?

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