Folk Song and National-Cultural Identity－Focuding of Folk Songs and Their Study in Canada－

Canada has a short history of 150 years by the immigrants from France and the British since the 16th century. Thus, it is not easy to determine the ‘traditional’ culture of Canada. If we turn our attention to folklore, the intangible heritage of Canada is few. Most Canadians even regard that the Canadian folk songs are the remnants of their forebear heritage. In this study, I introduce Canadian folk culture centering of folk songs. I explore the identity of Canadian folk song through how the Canadian scholars define it and include in the category of folk song. In this way, I disclose the national-cultural identity of Canada through folk songs and their study.Canadian folk song mirrors the political environment of the immigrant communities of French and the British. The French immigrants who settled in Canada in the 16th century have become the minority of the Canadian society since the defeat against the British in the 18th century. The French Canadians have tried to find the root and identity through the collection and research of French folk songs. In fact, the cultural movement in France in the 19th century influenced to the French Canadian community. The extensive collection and research of French folk songs in the late 19th and the early 20th centuries made it the majority of folk song study in Canada. The British folk songs were studies from the early 20th century, mostly by female scholars who were also active in American anthropology.Canadian folk songs are basically the song of immigrants from France and the British. The French and British folk songs have changed in Canada through time. Some songs, however, exhibit ancient traits and remain in the immigrant community while they are no longer transmitted in the place of origin. In other words, they are the remnants of cultural freeze phenomena. The most representative children’s song in Canada, Alotette, is originally a French Canadian song which was brought to France by the Canadian soldiers during the Frist World War. It became popular in France and is now the most famous French song in the world. In this regard, Canadian folk songs exhibits the complexity of Canadian immigrant culture and national cultural identity.