The Inuksuk are ancient Canadian Inuit structures. Built in the image of man, they are signature on Artic landscape of a
hunter who has previously passed his
way.
Their strenght of presence gives comfort to the traveller, assuring him that he is not alone.
They also send messengers indicating safe passages,
natural, shelter, and good hunting.
For the Canadian wireless network, see Inukshuk Wireless Partnership.
Inuksuit at the Foxe Peninsula (Baffin Island)
An inuksuk (plural inuksuit) (from the Inuktitut, plural; alternatively inukshuk in Englis or inukhuk in Inuinnaqtun) is a man-made stone landmark or cairn, used by the Inuit, Inupiat, Kalaallit, Yupik, and other peoples of the Arctic region of North
America, from
Alaska to
Greenland. This region, above the Arctic Circle, is dominated by the tundra biome, containing areas with few natural landmarks.
The inuksuk may have been used for navigation, as a point of reference, a marker for hunting grounds, or as a food cache.The Inupiat in northern Alaska used inuksuit to assist in the herding of caribou into contained areas for slaughter. Inuksuit vary in shape and size, with
deep roots in the Inuit culture.
Historically the most common
type of inuksuit are a
single stone positioned in an upright manner. An inuksuk is often confused with an inunnguaq, a cairn representing a human figure. There is some debate as to whether the appearance of human or cross shaped cairns developed in the Inuit culture before the arrival of European missionaries and explorers.
At Enukso Point on Baffin Island there are over 100 inuksuit and the area has been designated one of
Canada's national historic sites (
Wikipedia 16/09/2009)
