Indigenous people were the first to live and form communities in Canada and in the Northern territories. They had their own cultures, values, and ways of living. Oral traditions and rituals had an important place in indigenous’ daily life. This article focuses on storytelling, which was performed by elder members of the communities to keep the culture alive and to educate the youth. The genre of this folklore is verbal but also material, and customary since they used all their senses to perform creative rituals and narratives. The first section presents the roles of Elders in Indigenous communities. The second section defines and explains the purpose of storytelling. The third section illustrates how storytelling established a connection between the land and the people. Finally, the fourth section illustrates Indigenous storytelling as a well-organized and artistic way of communication.

Keywords: Indigenous communities, oral traditions, storytelling, teachings, legends and myths, rituals, artistic communication, spirituality.