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If you're not a Canadian, you're probably asking now what an inuksuk or inukshuk is. Canadians who have come across it many a time are familiar with this peculiar object and know that it's a cairn originally created by the Inuit, the aboriginal inhabitants of the region above the Arctic Circle. It's a simple statue made of several stones resembling a person. The first and most common type was just a single stone and therefore it isn't clear whether the modern human-shaped statues bearing resemblance to Christian crosses are a result of European missionaries' influence. Neither is it clear what these objects were once used for. Some researchers assume that they might have been used for navigation due to their being several metres high, or for marking travel routes, while others speak about inuksuks as markers of camps, fishing places, hunting grounds, or food caches. The roots of the word can be found in the Inuit culture. According to the inhabitants of the Nunavik region, it stands for “something which acts for or performs the function of a person.” As for the places where inuksuit (plural form) can be found, especially in Northern regions it's easy to come across many statues. The original figures are mainly on plains, but some are also on the coastline. On Baffin Island, for instance, there are more than 100 of them. The place is today even a National Historic Site of Canada. There are, however, two popular types of inuksuit: the original, authentic Inuit ones and the newer non-Inuit ones. The difference between them is that the latter resembles a human figure very strongly. Besides, it's often described by a different term: inunnguaq. Inuksuit have become a very popular cultural symbol and are becoming a Canadian national symbol. In the modern era, Canadians built many new inuksuit; an innunguaq was even a part of the Vancouver Winter Olympics 2010 logo. This step has naturally led to a greater recognition of the symbol around the world. The Canadian government even donated inuksuit to countries like Australia, Norway, and Mexico. The popularity of these statues is clear on the shores of Lake Ontario too, where a 9-metre-tall inuksuk stands, and in Schomberg, Ontario, where an 11-metre-tall “stoneman” soars. Along the Trans-Canada Highway, you can find as many as 90 inuksuit. Today, many people build inuksuit on their own, anywhere they feel, or they buy ready-made statues for their gardens or yards. Some people (myself included) consider it one of Canada's symbols. A cute little inunnguaq can even be found on my website. He's supposed to guide you home.
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inuksuk, Canada, symbol, history, meaning,
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