Inukshuk (ee-nook-shook) is an Inuit word meaning “in the image of man”. For those who travelled across the vastness of the Arctic, inukshuks acted as directional markers to guide those who saw them. Each inukshuk had a specific meaning or purpose, depending on their appearance and location. While some had only one arm pointing toward the correct route, others had a peep hole in the center so travellers looking through the hole could see the next inukshuk on the horizon. Still others were used to deceive caribou and lure them into areas where they could be easily hunted. And, while functional for so many reasons, people would sometimes build inukshuks for no other reason than to break the loneliness and simply leave a sign of their passing.
This article appeared in Wilderness News Spring 2006