Inukshuk
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Image:Nunavut flag.png An inukshuk (Inuktitut: ᐃᓄᒃᓱᒃ inuksuk, plural ᐃᓄᒃᓱᐃᑦ inuksuit) is a stone landmark used as a milestone or directional marker by the Inuit of the Canadian Arctic. Inuksuit differ from some cairns in significance. The Arctic Circle, dominated by permafrost, has few natural landmarks and thus the inukshuk was central to navigation across the barren tundra.
Inuksuit vary in shape and size, and perform a diverse array of tasks. It is a symbol with deep roots in the Inuit culture, a directional marker that signifies safety, hope and friendship. The word inuksuk means "something which acts for or performs the function of a man." The word comes from the morphemes inuk ("man") and -suk ("ersatz or substitute"). It is pronounced 'inutsuk' in Nunavik and the southern part of Baffin Island (see Inuit language phonology and phonetics for the linguistic reasons). In many of the central Nunavut dialects, it has the etymologically related name 'inuksugaq' (plural: 'inuksugait').
Image:Inunnguaq Rankin Inlet 1996-07-18.jpgAn inukshuk is shown on the flag and Coat of Arms of the Canadian territory of Nunavut, and the flag of Nunatsiavut.
Image:2010 Winter Olympics logo.pngA structure similar to an inukshuk but meant to represent a human figure, called an inunguak ("imitation of a person"), has become widely familiar to non-Inuit. However, it is not the most common type of inukshuk and is distinguished from inuksuit in general. An inunguak is shown on the cover of the Rush album Test for Echo. An inunguak forms the basis of the logo of the 2010 Winter Olympics designed by Vancouver artist Elena Rivera MacGregor; its use in this context has been controversial, both among the Inuit and the First Nations of British Columbia. Although the design is under question, it is widely acknowledged that it pays tribute to the inukshuk that stands at Vancouver's English Bay, which was created by artisan Alvin Kanak of Rankin Inlet, Northwest Territories (which is now in the territory of Nunavut that separated from the Northwest Territories in 1999.) It was given as a gift to the city for the 1986 World Exposition. The land has since been donated to the city and it is now a protected site. Friendship and the welcoming of the world are the meanings of both the English Bay structure and the 2010 Winter Olympics emblem, with Kanak's creation having the additional representation of the strength of his people and the modes of communication and technology before modern Canada.
In the News
Toronto Globe and Mail reported that during July 2005, Canadian military personnel had erected an Inukshuk on Hans Island as a geopolitical marker in Canada's longstanding dispute with Denmark over the small arctic island.