Killinek Island

The Inukshuk (pronounced IN-OOK-SHOOK) meaning "in the image of man", are magnificent lifelike figures of stone which were erected by the Inuit throughout the Millennia. They stand along Canada's most northern shores, and are unique to the Canadian arctic.  As we move into the third Millennium, they also stand as eternal symbols of leadership, encouraging the importance of friendship, and reminding us of our dependence on one another.

These meaningful messengers are used as directional markers on the treeless horizon guiding those who followed by pointing the way back to the Arctic Ocean. These powerful stone cairns are as equally worthy of the recognition and admiration that is bestowed upon England's Stonehenge, the stone faces of Easter Island and the pyramids.

When hunting caribou on open tundra, the Inuit erected a series of inukshuks with both arms and legs. These inukshuks would be about 100 yards apart. Men would be waiting at the end of the line, while women drove the caribou along the line of inukshuks. The women were careful not to enter the line, because this would upset the spirits. Children would stand beside the inukshuks to provide some movement because the caribou at times sensed the inukshuks were not people.

In the Baffin region, the traditional meaning of an inukshuk has to do with direction. An inukshuk on land with two arms and legs means there is a valley, and at the end of the valley, you are able to go in two directions. The same inukshuk near the sea means there is a channel, and at the end of the channel, you will be able to go in two directions. An inukshuk on land with no arms, but both legs, means one-way passage. The same inukshuk by the sea means there is a channel that allows for a one-way passage. An inukshuk with no arms and legs is simply a guide for a hunter in unknown territory.

Courtesy of Brian Mairs Consulting