Stone follies?

I should have written this to the editor of Above and Beyond, but that magazine is not translated into Inuktitut.

In its September-October 2009 edition, on page 20 there is a picture of a stamp of an inuksuk standing outside of Hay River in the Northwest Territories. It says the stamp illustrates the stone giants’ purpose in guiding travellers in Canada’s North.

The original inuksuit are being misrepresented by people making what they call inuksuks. These imitations of men are not true inuksuit. These are creations of modern man.

Anyway, let’s get back to the magazine, and take a good look at what is supposedly an inuksuk: first look at the feet, legs, these legs, feet look robotic. In between the legs it looks like a covering of a male native in the movies. Original inuksuit don’t have arms. The inuksuit were the indicators where a good hunting ground was or a good fishing spot. 

I’m a reader of Above and Beyond. I think before any organization start putting anything that reflects Inuit should ask our wise elders in the north.
 
Johnny  Ayaruaq
Rankin Inlet


Email your letters to editor@nunatsiaq.com.

Nunatsiaq News welcomes letters to the editor. But we are under no obligation to publish any given letter at any given time.

In our print edition, we usually print letters on a first-come, first-served, space-available basis. In our online edition, we usually print letters as soon as we are able to prepare them for publication.

All letters are edited for length, grammar, punctuation, spelling, taste and libel. You may withhold your name by request, but we must know who you are before we publish your letter.