Pointing the Way

The Inuksuk

We saw a lot of these funny little statues along many of the paths we took throughout our trip. There was a very large one that could be seen in a field just off one of the highways not too far off from where we stayed. I was impressed that someone was able to make one so big that it could be seen from the road. The rocks would have had to come from somewhere else since they were in the middle of a field. We also ran into another smaller one during one of our hikes. I was curious to learn what on earth these things represented…

The Inuksuk comes from Inuit culture traditionally meant to give direction. They were constructed to handle the worst weather conditions in the north of Canada, ultimately helping people survive by pointing out direction to safety. With an aim to reach people from all over the world that may have lost their way they elude a spirit of hope and friendship.

Loving the idea of the Inuksuk I decided it would only be appropriate to build one at the cabin I stayed at. I can only hope it will inspire a greeting of peace and love to the next travelers who go there.

How to build an Inuksuk

They are not held together with glue or cement, but stay constructed since each rock is carefully balanced on top of one another.

1. Go out into the woods and pick out a number of large, flatter style rocks (this part is a lot of fun since you can spend a lot of time venturing in the woods to try to find just the perfect ones)
2. Once you have your rocks, pick out the larger flatter ones to be the base that you believe will be strong enough to hold the rest of the structure in place.
3. Start to balance each rock one on top of each other. The mid-section can have a larger rock that points and sits on top of the two foundational pillars you built.
4. Lastly, complete the upper part by adding a couple of smaller rocks

Moral of the Story

Have a good foundation. Having a good foundation is believing you will not crumble to the ground when life gives it’s challenges. If you have a strong foundation nothing will stop you. You will hold strong through the worst weather conditions and will not come all apart with the next gust of wind. Next, you are a balancing act. You are fragile, but you fit perfectly in your environment and every piece of you is balanced and aware of your surroundings. Now that you are complete and rock solid, with perfect balance and a good foundation, you are able to lead the way for whoever else may need some direction to come their way.