Review: Inukuk: Make Your Own
by Mary Wallace
by Bryan Hansel
Inuksuk (Ee-nook-sook) is "a stone marker that acts in the place of a human being," writes Mary Wallace in this short book aimed at children. And for those that don't know, inuksuit (plural) are found all over the Canadian Arctic and significant interest abroad has spread this art form beyond its old boundaries.
In this book, Wallace explains the original uses for inuksuit, and then describes how to put a simple sculpture together. She spends a chapter on glue and adhesives, and writes about a place for building your own inuksuk. After a few more chapters, she gets to the point, which is why build an inuksuk. And she states:
An inuksuk is a timeless symbol of our close connection with the earth. Since the beginning of humankind, we have expressed out thoughts, feeling, and ideas by using and arranging the physical materials of our environment.
When we use the pure, simple materials of nature to create an expression of ourselves, we can send a powerful message about our place in the world.
This is a great book for the child and adult. It is easy to read, but it simply explains in full and fulfill detail the reasons that inuksuit existed in the first place and how they can continue to give meaning to our lives. This is a worthwhile buy.