Inuksuit: Silent Messengers of the Arctic

by Norman Hallendy

The mysterious stone figures known as inuksuit can be found throughout the circumpolar world. Built from whatever stones are at hand, each one is unique. Inuksuit are among the oldest and most important objects placed by humans upon the vast Arctic landscape and have become a familiar symbol of the Inuit and of their homeland. In Norman Hallendy's 40 years of travel throughout the Arctic, he has developed lasting friendships with a number of Inuit elders. Through them, he learned that inuksuit are a nuanced, complex, and vital form of communication. Some are navigational or directional aids, while others offer hunting information or indicate caches of food or supplies. Some were practical helpers that assisted in hunting caribou or luring geese. Other similar stone structures were objects of veneration, indicating places of power or the abode of spirits. Although most inuksuit appear singly, sometimes they are arranged in sequences spanning great distances or are grouped to mark a specific place. Others define the ghostly geography of the spiritual landscape. Hallendy's 52 dramatic color photographs of many different kinds of inuksuit and objects of veneration capture not only a sense of wonder and power but reveal a hauntingly beautiful landscape that few of us will ever see.

Genres: Nonfiction

127 pages, Hardcover

First published August 1, 2000

Reviews

[Karin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great photos! I had a good understanding of the different types of inuksuit the Inuit used/ still use to communicate an d travel in the arctic after reading the book and studying the pictures.

[Socraticgadfly · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very interesting coffee-table book. I checked out for the photos, but not the photos alone. What ARE these "inuksuit"?

Physically, they're stacked rock structures. Some are cairns, and some are henge-like features. They serve a variety of purposes in the Inuit world. Some were directional markers. Some commemorated some event that happened at the site. Some are — sacred's really not the right word, but something along the lines of "haram" in Islam or "tabu" in its original meaning in Oceania. As one of author Hallendy's interlocutors explain, these are sites were shamans were active in the past, or similar.

Hallendy is a Canadian Arctic researcher and explorer of decades standing who gained the trust of various Inuit elders to learn the stories of these sites.

[Bumbles · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good however some of the anecdotes of the authors "an intimate wilderness" are recounted here numerous times. I was looking forward to newer material.

[Jayne Bauling · Rating 5 out of 5]

Inuksuit are ancient and mysterious stone structures found in the circumpolar world, each one different yet all with similarities. They were a means of communication between humans in this huge and hostile landscape.

The photography alone is stunning, the explanatory text awe-inspiring. The complexity of the messages transmitted by these stone constructions is humbling to those of us imagining that our instant, online communication makes us 'evolved'.

The author spent years among the Inuit forging deep friendships, and the reader feels privileged to be granted this glimpse into a unique way of life among people whose essential humanity is never compromised by the harshness of their environment.

The fact that the author's research relied so much on oral history is a timely alert. Peoples who live in close relationship with their physical environment, especially if that environment is challenging, often necessarily have little in the way of written record, and so much of humanity's sheer remarkableness, especially in the way of survival skills, stands to be lost if we are not careful, in the sense of taking care - to ask, note, record and respect.

[Kirsten · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a really cool book with some beautiful photography. The author discusses his experiences in the Arctic among the Inuit on Baffin Island, with a focus on the stone markers constructed by Inuit tribespeople to mark areas of note or offer direction to others. I really loved this but I occasionally found the text a bit too rambling and a bit too personal -- I think I'd sort of been hoping for a more scholarly aspect, or a bit more organized detail. Still, it was really cool, and I now sort of want to visit Baffin Island, because it's gorgeous.

[Douglas Summers-Stay · Rating 4 out of 5]

When I was young, I thought there were two kinds of people: those who, coming upon flat rocks, would stack them up, and people who would, coming on stacks of rocks, knock them down. This theory explained a lot about my experiences in school.
The Inuit people also stack up rocks, for a lot the same reasons. This book has beautiful photography of piles of rocks. My favorite are the ones that form a kind of window-frame, guiding you to the next step on a journey by framing it.

[Grace · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing book! This book is more than just a study of the Inuit tradition of stone monuments that are used for landmarkers and long-range communication. It's really a look inside the mindset of the Inuit people--their customs, their highly descriptive language, their entire worldview.
Lots of astounding full-color pictures, too!

[Elsabe Retief · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Inuksuk (plural Inuksuik) is such a ubiquitous Canadian symbol, this is a must read in order to understand what it really stand for.
Art and vital method of communication - could it be possible that all art is a way of communication or is this more so?