The Timeless Inuksuk
Necessity and art often go hand and hand like soulmates, each separate but uniquely connected. Whenever the connection is so entwined, a spirituality emanates that makes it even stronger. The Inuit people remind us all of the enduring relationship between man and environment. A testament to that relationship is the fact that fascination and regard are still being directed toward the Inuksuk.
Today, you can find the Inuksuk pictured on t-shirts, as objects for souvenirs and you can find an ever-increasing number of those intentionally-placed rock piles along the roadsides as you travel across Canada. And when it came time for the people of the Nunavut Territory to decide on a flag...you guessed it...the symbol of an Inuksuk took a place of prominence on it. A phrase attributed to the Inuit: "a long time ago in the future" seems to aptly describe the Inuksuk and it's time-honored creators.
CRAFTING IDEA:
An Inuksuk makes a wonderful gift. They can be made small enough to place anywhere or large enough to be a major conversational or dedication piece.
MATERIALS and DIRECTIONS:
1) Rocks and stones (size and shape proportionate to stack and balance). There should be at least two somewhat flat areas on each rock used.
Arrange them as you wish. Usually, Inuksuit resemble the human form, however, they can also appear as towers and arches. If you'd like to build an Inuksuk as a "welcome" greeting for a yard or as an addition to a flower garden, be careful that you don't get carried away and make it so large that the next astronauts to the Moon are able to point it out. "Hey, there's the Great Wall of China!" "Yeah. And look over there. Isn't that Bob and Betty's Inuksuk?" And naturally, you wouldn't want to build it in such a way that your friends and family have to call the fire department to come and get you down from the top of it. Moderation would be a good word to keep in mind when building and balancing your Inuksuk.
An Inuksuk is meant to be "free standing" since the balancing is one of the main aspects of it. You can, however, use adhesive if circumstances call for it and even though part of the "spirit" of it will be lost, it will still retain the heart - the symbolism.
THE GLUED METHOD:
1) Rocks or stones.
2) Sandpaper (grade depends on type of rock - courser grade for more solid
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