I have always loved to try and re-use items in the garden. I had a lot of bricks that were once a path but as the garden changed the path was removed. Plus it was a pain to keep the weeds out of, as they grew between the cracks. So while stacking them to remove from the path I came up with this idea of making a brick inukshuk.
I’ve had this in my gardens for several years now and always thought it was a form of an inuksuk. In fact I have nicknamed it Inuky. But a while ago I discovered that it is an inunnguaq.
Here is what I found out.
An inuksuk is a stone monument used by the Inuit as a marker for special places, interesting places, marking trails or location of food or people, navigation, or migration routes of the caribou.
An inunnguag is a form of inuksuk that represents a human form.
In 1999 an inuksuk was chosen as the symbol on the flag for Nunavut, the newest territory in Canada. A design of an inunnguag was chosen for the Vancouver 2010 Olympic mascot. However many people, including me, refer to the design as an inuksuk.
I love the big stone inuksuks that you see in many places now, but I love my little brick one as it is so portable. It has been in various garden locations.
The brick Inuky was set up on the deck for a couple of winters so it helped predict the weather as well as be a cheery bit of garden architecture to be viewed from the kitchen windows.
A quick look out the window and I know the snow is accumulating.
The dove chose to sit on the head for awhile, perhaps the sun was warming the rock up.
Have a look at this neat idea …. you can knit your own inuksuk by following this link.
Inuky has been moved to a few different places in the garden. This past year he took up residence under the honeysuckle tree along with an old wicker chair, an old wheelbarrow planter, and a flower that acts as a windmill.
Here he is after the snowstorm. In the summer there is a pot of flowers on the chair and coleus in the round planter. Over the winter I’ve got a birdhouse on there, for lack of a better place to put it.
And last year I also made another Inuky and have him on the path at the side of the garage.
He even managed to accumulate some snow on his arms, shoulders and head during the storm.
One of the other things I learned is that this word can be spelled different ways … inuksuk … inukshuk … and plural inuksuit.
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