In the Arctic, the skilled technique and art of building an inukshuk is passed down through generations of Inuit tradition.
a proud lineage
a compass
~ in the setting sun
Published in my photo/haibun anthologies ~PRIMITIVE~ 2019 and ~ANCESTRAL VOICES~ 2019
AP: Honorable Mention 2023
Posted on July 30, 2019
Categories:
inukshuk, art, community, meaningful, social,
Form: Haibun
Embodying the human spirit, the inukshuk can serve as a spiritual symbol, a ceremonial site, a place of worship, a place of judgment and decision making or a site to gather and celebrate. Regardless of their function, inuksuit are venerated by the Inuit for their history and ancestral value.
sacred touchstone
hub of present and
generations past
Published in my photo/haibun anthologies ~PRIMITIVE~ 2019 and ~ANCESTRAL VOICES~ 2019
AP: Honorable Mention 2020
Posted on July 30, 2019
Categories:
inukshuk, community, history, pride, spiritual,
Form: Haibun
To the discerning eye of Inuit travelers, hunters and whalers, the inukshuk communicates pivotal counsel on safety and danger.
guiding posts
~ marbled voices of
ancestor spirits
Published in my photo/haibun anthologies ~PRIMITIVE~ 2019 and ~ANCESTRAL VOICES~ 2019
AP: Honorable Mention 2020
Posted on July 30, 2019
Categories:
inukshuk, confidence, encouraging, meaningful, nature,
Form: Haibun
Inuit inuksuit (plural of inukshuk) are still often built as navigational aids pointing to mainland or significant transition points between water and land routes.
moonlit relief
showing
the path home
Published in my photo/haibun anthologies ~PRIMITIVE~ 2019 and ~ANCESTRAL VOICES~ 2019
AP: Honorable Mention 2025
Posted on July 30, 2019
Categories:
inukshuk, encouraging, home, journey, moon,
Form: Haibun
It’s hard to imagine a distant time when man was self-sufficient, needing to go hunt for his family’s food. Him against nature. Alone and on a mission. Up north, an inukshuk pointed the way to a good fishing spot or where meat was cached. Its longest arm pointing to the closest village.
solitary~
voice of predecessors
ringing clear
Published in my photo/haibun anthologies ~PRIMITIVE~ 2019 and ~ANCESTRAL VOICES~ 2019
AP: Honorable Mention 2020
Posted on July 29, 2019
Categories:
inukshuk, courage, encouraging, food, journey,
Form: Haibun
Deep rooted symbol in the Inuit culture, the inukshuk is rudimentary, primitive but effective communication. Through centuries, it is still a practical directional marker used as vital hunting and navigation aids, coordination points, indicators, and message centers.
remote voice
shattering the silence
of hesitation
Published in my photo/haibun anthologies ~PRIMITIVE~ 2019 and ~ANCESTRAL VOICES~ 2019
AP: Honorable Mention 2020
Posted on July 29, 2019
Categories:
inukshuk, confidence, encouraging, silence, society,
Form: Haibun
For centuries in the desolate cold of the Canadian Arctic, the Inuit scatter messages across their landscape. The inukshuk. Across miles of austerity, stacked rocks symbolize human contact and hope.
unspoken words
left behind
defying time
Published in my photo/haibun anthologies ~PRIMITIVE~ 2019 and ~ANCESTRAL VOICES~ 2019
AP: Honorable Mention 2020
Posted on July 29, 2019
Categories:
inukshuk, encouraging, loneliness, meaningful, solitude,
Form: Haibun
highway 69
rock out crops
rounded smooth
coloured striations
undulate through stone
like stretch marks
on the ancient mothers belly
where she grew fecund
giving birth to the world.
rock cuts
break the surface
blown there by dynamite charges
like ragged scars
revealing each pang of labour
laid down in rusted reds, pink, white, and grays
it is in these raw places
that her colours shine as newly made
unsoftened by ages of wear
ice ages grinding
lichens have not crept
their pale green/gray cloth
to drape her nakedness
men have touched her flanks
with force, unloving,
to forge their path north
black asphalt, alien.
not enough to claim their presence
atop each cut stand inukshuk
built to say "we were here".
Categories:
inukshuk, betrayal, mother,
Form: Free verse
They stand tall like a monument, the wayfarer’s journey guide
Rough stones shaped into human form, the meaning to unhide,
Inuits first carefully piled these stones, the meaning becomes clear,
Traditionally “you are on the right path” or “someone was here”.
These unworked stones were used for survival and a method to communicate,
Mountain passages or an open channel, the stone placement was your fate.
A cache of food was near an Inukshuk without arms or one with anthers attached,
For the lost hunter in the Arctic, their beckoning and comfort was unmatched.
These rocks are used for navigation, the right direction to select,
They can also signify a memorial, a quiet place of respect,
Or mark where the spirits abide or where the fish can be found,
Think- the amount of information provided, without uttering a sound.
Winter 2010, in Vancouver, it became the official Olympic mascot,
“In the likeness of a human” is the modern meaning, now it’s thought.
I am no expert on these stones but driving northward, I keep a watchful look,
And respect the stone monument there to welcome you, the Inuit Inukshuk
Written July 30, 2011
For “Stoned Contest”
Sponsor Catie Lindsey
Categories:
inukshuk, history, inspirational, , memorial,
Form: Rhyme