The human spirit & symbolic communication
The traditional Inuit people of the north have long used the Inukshuk to impart messages and communicate with others. The word Inukshuk (singular of Inuksuit) means “likeness of a person.” As a nomadic people, the Inuit would place a cairn of stones to act as a human messenger or convey important information for survival to others who were passing by.
In additional to their job as symbolic landmarks, the Inukshuk became an ancient and eternal symbol of communication & friendship between peoples; a symbol of the north; of leadership; and of the human spirit.
Inukshuk in Gospic touched me deeply because of their spontaneous gesture and of the multiple layers of symbolic meaning that it represented. Their act of friendship included a show of support and leadership in honouring both Nodar Kumartashvili and Vancouver 2010 in their demonstration. They exemplified the indomitable human spirit to reach out and connect with others; to communicate by whatever means possible. They not only created their Inukshuk from the bodies of 1500+ people but they also embodied the symbolic meaning of the Inukshuk.
In a world shaped by electronic communication the fact that the Gospic town’s people used this simple yet powerful symbol of friendship spoke volumes and touched my heart. It said much more than an e-mail or text message ever could.
And finally a stirring deep within my being in the rightness of this gesture, that the ways of the ancient ones were also being honoured and respected … and that this ancient from of communication still had great relevance in today’s world.
(photo from Surrey North Delta leader February 17, 2010)
What symbols during the Olympics had special meaning to you?
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