Viral throat singer shares Indigenous culture on TikTok

MONTREAL – A soulful voice and a passion for her culture in her heart set Shina Novalinga apart on social media.

With over 2 million TikTok followers, Novalinga is taking her Indigenous culture viral.

“There’s so much misconception towards our culture and we had almost lost so much of our traditions so I want to take that back and show the beauty of Innu culture and spread awareness and educate people. That’s what I try to do,” Novalinga told CityNews.

“I try my best to show representation for Indigenous peoples.”

 

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A post shared by Shina Nova (@shinanova)

She does that by sharing videos of herself throat singing, often with her Mom.

“Throat singing is usually done between two women in our Innu culture facing each other and imitating the sound of nature and animals. It’s a game between two women, a pastime, a lullaby.”

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Despite her large social following, Novalinga is no stranger to online hate.

@shinanovaWe hope you enjoy it as much as we do @kayuulanova ##throatsingers ##healing ##culture ##reclaim♬ original sound – Shina Nova

“A lot of people make fun of throat singing and I want people to understand that it is beautiful. It is a way to cope with anxiety. We send out a lot of energy and positive thoughts and we want people to feel that when we throat sing.”

Novalinga is used to getting feedback from people her non-Indigenous followers who are attracted to the beauty of her art.

“This is why it’s so beautiful–because in different languages or different cultures people can feel the same thing as us when we throat sing. It’s a way for all of us to connect,” she said.

“I would have never thought I would get to where I am today. I grew up with my culture but to see people learn so much encouraged me to keep going.”

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