Inukshuk

This large Inukshuk sculpture is bound to capture the attention of travelers from all over the globe!

Approx. 17 x 4.5 x 22 cm
Stone carving, Serpentinite stone 
reg. no. 7748P

An Inukshuk, 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 inukshuk 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. Inukshuk are a nuanced, complex and vital form of communication.

In the past, inukshuk 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 inukshuk to help those who followed, to navigate a safe trail across the tundra. Some inukshuk were built to show the direction of the correct valley or pass to use.