Canadian Crafts and Traditions

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Did you know that Canada there are approximately 300 thousand aborigines living who speak 58 languages ​​or dialects belonging to ten different linguistic groups? It's hard to talk about Canadian crafts and traditions as something concrete. The ethnic diversity of the country is enormous, and this is reflected in the great richness and variety of its artistic traditions and expressions.

These lands of infinite forests, great lakes and arctic deserts, offer the traveler the opportunity to discover these cultures before the arrival of the European colonizers. And also acquire genuine memories of your trip to Canada.

Canadian Indigenous Peoples

The peoples and ethnic groups that inhabited the Canadian territory before the arrival of the Europeans are known as First Nations (first nations). It is a very heterogeneous group in which the peoples are not usually included. Inuit y Metis.

Traditional indigenous art expresses itself in many ways: leather work, hunting weapons, wood carvings, paintings and beads… Today's indigenous artists and craftsmen continue to manufacture the same objects, faithfully following the heritage of their ancestors, although also introducing from time to time the odd novelty.

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Map of Canadian indigenous peoples with some of their cultural expressions

By far the most popular and highly valued facet of Canadian traditional art revolves around wood carvings. The traditional objects of the Tlingit, Haida, Tsimshian and Kwakiutl tribes, in the province of British Columbia. His decorative works on utensils are recognized for their quality and originality.

The same can be said of the wearing masks ceremonial. These objects were used in their day in the ancestral rites of the ancient inhabitants of these lands. Today they are exhibited in museums and arts centers, or (in the case of lower quality ones) they are sold in souvenir shops.

The totems

However, the most iconic objects within the crafts and traditions of Canada are the totems, symbolic objects that had (and have) great importance in the religious ceremonies of many of these peoples.

Basically, a totem is a large tree trunk (usually cedar) or wooden pole that can reach a height of up to 20 or 30 meters. It represents the images of the divinities and the sacred animals that protect a clan. Its origins date back to ancient times and are linked to the myths and legends of each town.

canadian totem

Canadian totem

The most common representations of a Canadian totem are the eagle, the hawk, the bear, the wolf, the whale, the toad, the beaver and the thunderbird, which according to the traditions, is a being that became a man and generated a child. The latter, ascending to Heaven, controls thunder and lightning.

It is rare to find a single solitary totem, as tradition dictates that they be erected forming groups next to rivers and lakes, or in the clearings of the forests, always a short distance from the inhabited nuclei. Today, outside of museums and tourist towns, very few authentic totems remain standing.

Some of the best places to see totem poles and learn more about traditional Canadian art are like dunkan aka, called «the city of totems», the Capilano Bridge, the island Queen Charlotte (also known as Haida gwai) And University of British Columbia, where magnificent specimens are preserved.

Canadian Crafts and Traditions: The Inuit

Due to their peculiar characteristics, Inuit (misnamed Eskimos) constitute a separate episode within the Canadian indigenous peoples.

His artistic expressions are as original as they are unmistakable. The sculptures, carvings, engravings and drawings that are preserved of this people reflect the world of the Inuit: their worldview and their spirituality. The animal world, hunting and nature are the central themes of all his creations.

Inuit Art

Inuit art on bone

Any traveler who is interested in this art should not miss visiting the Inuit Art Museum (Museum of Inuit Art - MIA) On Toronto. Countless pieces of art are exhibited there, ranging from sculptures carved in stone, horn, ivory and bone to engravings, tapestries and ceramic pieces.

There are other museums in the country that display Inuit works of art and creations. The most important are the McMichael Canadian Art Collection, Ontario Art Gallery and Royal Ontario Museum, which showcase ancient pieces and creations by modern artists such as Annie Pootoogook, Karoo Ashevak o David Piqtoukun, continuators of the old artisan techniques of this town.


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  1.   wendy denisse ricaldi perales said

    Well, Canada is an underdeveloped country, and it is also enough to have varieties in different aptitudes. I love that country

  2.   omar calderon tapia said

    I love him too, we have to contact us so we can kidnap him and fuck him