Michael Shaw Bond > Quotes

“On the island of Igloolik, where Aporta has conducted much of his research, a good navigator is known by the term 'aangaittuq', which means 'attentive'. Aangaittuq describes not just a person's wayfinding savvy, but their whole attitude to life. 'Being a good wayfinder is no different from being a good provider', Aporta has said, 'as both hunting and wayfinding are parts of the broader tasks of dwelling.”
― Michael Shaw Bond, From Here to There: The Art and Science of Finding and Losing Our Way

“When you're reading a conventional map, north is generally straight ahead, though this is entirely artefact of map-making culture and has no effect on orientation. Medieval European maps were 'east up', in line with Christian sensibilities, and early Islamic maps were orientated in the direction of Mecca. Whatever was important went at the top. 'North up' maps became commonplace during the sixteenth century, when European explorers began to make extensive journeys using the North Star and the (northward-pointing) compass to navigate. Since then, the idea of north has taken on an importance in people's imaginings: a place to strive for, or one that seems forever out of reach. A standard compass needle will assure you that there is always more north to be had, except when you reach the North Pole itself, at which point the needle will spin like a lost soul, confounded by its goal.”
― Michael Shaw Bond, From Here to There: The Art and Science of Finding and Losing Our Way