“That’s a beautiful necklace,” someone said to me at a gathering recently. “What is it?”
“It’s an inukshuk,” I replied.
“What is an… inukshuk?” she asked hesitantly, trying to pronounce the unfamiliar word.
An inukshuk (pronounced in-ook-shook) is a stone structure that looks a little like a person made from rocks. For centuries, Inuit people across the Arctic have built them as a form of communication across the vast northern landscape. They can point the way, mark important places, help coordinate hunting, or signal where supplies might be stored.
As I explained this, I remembered the day my grandson first asked about the necklace.
He was fascinated.
“That’s really cool,” he said.
“Let’s go try and make one,” I suggested.
Out to the backyard we went.
Now, I’ve never been to the Arctic. But if inukshuks were commonly used there, the builders must have had plenty of rocks to work with. Our backyard was not nearly so generous, which made the search part of the adventure.
We began sorting through the rocks we could find, trying to recreate the basic shape.
First, two sturdy rocks to form the legs. They had to be roughly the same size and sit evenly on the ground so they could support the next stone.
Next came the body — a wider rock that could balance across the two legs.
Then we searched for a long, flat stone to stretch across the top like arms.
Finally came the head: a small, square-ish rock that could sit neatly on top of the arms.
Unlike a snowman, an inukshuk needs no eyes, mouth, or hat.
Once that final stone is placed, the little stone figure stands quietly, just as it has across the Arctic for generations.
To stay true to the spirit of the original builders, an inukshuk should offer some kind of helpful message to those who pass by.
We don’t have many wandering travellers crossing our backyard on foot, but my grandson had a brilliant suggestion.
Our inukshuk, he decided, should help guide the visiting squirrels to the peanut feeder.
And so our small stone messenger now stands nearby, quietly pointing the way.
Inukshuks are part of Inuit culture and tradition, built across the Arctic landscape for generations. Recreating one in our backyard was a small way to appreciate the ingenuity and resourcefulness of the northern people who first created them.
It was a fun afternoon that required no travel, no equipment, and no screens — although a quick glance at a picture of an inukshuk might help you get started.
Now, whenever we visit a park, a beach, or anywhere there are stones to work with, we find ourselves happily building another one together.
Now whenever we visit a park, a beach, or anywhere there are stones to work with, we find ourselves happily building another one together.
Perhaps there’s a small stone messenger waiting to be built in your own backyard.
Sometimes we even imagine the stories our little stone messenger might tell. Who is it guiding? What journey are they on? Where are they headed?
A backyard discovery like this can easily become the beginning of a story.