canadiana 101: the inuksuk

 I'd never heard of an Inuksuk until I moved to Canada.  While we don't have them in the United States, they are literally everywhere in Canada.  Originally found among many of the Arctic cultures (including the Inuit and Inupiat), the symbol has become adopted by Canadian citizens of all varieties.  It was heavily featured in the Vancouver Winter Olympic Games, and is often viewed as the archetypal symbol of Canada. In fact, unlike the maple leaf (that other famous Canadian symbol), Inuksuit can be found across the country, while the maple tree only grows in the east. 


  While I won't go in to the political ramifications of adopting (or, as some would argue, co-opting) a piece of indigenous culture, I do find it interesting how beloved Inuksuit are among Canadians.  You'll find them in all kinds of places, from front yards to the most remote corners of national parks.  You'll spot them for sale in tacky souvenir shops, and being displayed in art galleries as 'high art.'


  For the uninitiated, the Inuksuk is literally a pile of rocks.  Inuksuit (plural form, not a typo) often take the shape of a human figure, with an erect back and outstretched arms.  They may be used for navigational purposes, for spiritual reasons or simply for aesthetic pleasure.  Honestly, I'm not sure what the heck they are traditionally used for, and I'm not sure many other people are, either.  Yet that doesn't stop people from loving, making and selling them.


  It should be pointed out that there is a lot of contention about the use of Inuksuit.  There is good reason for this -- the symbol has been taken completely out of its original cultural and spiritual context, and often gets co-opted in to advertising campaigns. The symbol is splashed across everything from tea towels and beer bottles.  Many Canadians don't even know what the the Inuksuit mean, and the fact that they do have spiritual value to the people of the north.  


  That said, I personally find them very beautiful and a wonderful symbol of the north.  It's always quite startling to come across an Inuksuk.  It brings to minds all kinds of questions -- who built it? When? For what purpose?


  I find it especially charming how tourists treat the inuksuit they come across while visiting national parks and other outdoorsy types of places where the Inuksuit tend to be built in larger numbers.  I have literally seen a pair of Canadian hikers build an Inuksuk, only to have it 'discovered' twenty minutes later by a pair of Europeans who loudly commented on the 'ancient Native artificat' in their midst.

In honor of the beautiful Canadian tradition of the Inuksuk, here are some photographs of various Inuksuit I have captured over the past year or so.  They're probably not ancient artifacts, but they are truly Canadian.