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| Inukshuk |
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In
the language of the Inuit; inukshuk means "One that looks
like a person". The inukshuiit are erected from stones
to resemble a human figure. (Inukshuiit is the plural of inukshuk).
Long before the Inuit had access to rifles and ammunition,
inukshuiit played an important role in hunting caribou . The traditional
hunting method would be to erect a series of inukshuiit in a funnel
shaped pattern narrowing to a dead end on a hillside. The
hunters would hide behind the inukshuiit armed with their bows and
arrows. The women and children would herd the caribou towards the
hunters by waving hides up and down to create loud noises. The caribou
became very nervous, being near-sighted, they perceived the inukshuiit
as humans and thought they were being trapped. This way of hunting
created confusion amongst the caribou, enabling the hunters to move
behind the herd. The inukshuiit would also double as landmarks or
cairns (stone piles) identifying the locations of caches of stored
meat.
Today the inukshuk is
used predominantly as a landmark. It can be found scattered across
the frozen land. An inukshuk can be spotted from miles away and
seasoned travelers can use the inukshuiit as navigational aids.
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© Loba Canada 2011