Book explores mystery and beauty of inuksuit

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There is a lot to be found between the covers of Norman Hallendy's book, Inuksuit-Silent Messengers of the North, not the least of which are Hallendy's breathtaking photos of dozens of inuksuit, impressive stone constructs standing against the stark, beautiful backdrop of the Canadian Arctic.

Hallendy's biography describes him as an Arctic researcher, writer, photographer, designer, artist and chronicler of Inuit life and northern landscapes. His affiliations are many: fellow of the Royal Canadian Geographic Society, member of the World Archaeological Congress, research associate of the Arctic Institute of North America, and research fellow of the Nunavut Research Institute, the Canadian Museum of Civilization, and the Smithsonian Institution.

In this book, Hallendy proves his talents not only as an explorer and photographer, but also as a storyteller, allowing us to share his wonder each time he makes a discovery or comes to a new understanding about these wondrous stone monuments that continue to stand despite the passage of time and changes to the northern way of life.

Hallendy has spent four decades as a frequent traveler in the Far North, learning about the lives of the people he me, being welcomed and accepted into those lives.

In the book, Hallendy chronicles his attempts over those many years to achieve an understanding of the inuksuit (plural of inuksuk) that dotted the landscape through which he traveled. He shares his journey with the reader, recounting stories shared with him by Elders and friends, as well as his own personal experiences.

"Inuksuk" translated means "that which acts in the capacity of a human." Hallendy explains how inuksuit have been used by generations of Inuit as navigational tools, providing information about not only which route is best, but where to find food, and providing information about hazards best to be avoided.

Before leaving on a journey, Hallendy explains, someone familiar with the area shares their knowledge, sometimes in the form of a song, telling the traveler of the important inuksuit they will encounter on the way, and what their meanings are.

As Hallendy discovered, inuksuit take many forms, ranging from a pile of stones stacked higher than a man, to two small red and black stones placed together on the shore. The stone figures serve many purposes as well, from inuksuit built to drive caribou toward waiting hunters, to those built to show the best route home, or those built merely to pass the time. Hallendy also talks about other inuksuk-like formations, similar to inuksuk but given different names. Many of these inuksuk-like structures have spiritual significance, such as tupqujaq, stone doorways through which shaman would enter the spirit world, or inuksuk nalunaikkutaq pimmariusimajumut, which mark the location of an important event. The book includes a useful appendix, listing the various types of inuksuk and inuksuk-like figures that appear in the book, each with a specific name describing its origin or use.

Inuksuit-Silent Messengers of the Arctic is published by Douglas & McIntyre, and sells for $45 in Canada.