Inukshuk

A slender inukshuk carved from a stunning green & brown stone.

Serpentine stone
Approx. 7 x 5 x 25cm
Reg. #866002122

An Inuksuk, a powerful symbol of the Inuit and the Arctic, is a structure of so many loose stones laid upon one another, each one being unique. In Inuktitut, the language of the Inuit, inukshuk means “like a person” for some inuksuit (plural) are constructed in a symbolic humanlike form. The meaning of a specific inukshuk depends on the intent of the person who built it. Their functions are numerous and the reason of their being wherever they are is specific. Inuksuit are a nuanced, complex and vital form of communication.

In the past, inuksuit were erected to act as signposts to those who journeyed across the vast northern lands. An Inuit hunter might have built an inukshuk to tell about a good hunting or fishing place, or to mark a spot where surplus food was stored. Arctic travelers built inuksuit to help those who followed, to navigate a safe trail across the tundra. Some inuksuit were built to show the direction of the correct valley or pass to use.