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Carvings
FAQ :What's an Inukshuk?
A:Since ancient times people have been making navigational and similar landmarks from piled up stones. The Inuit people living in the Arctic make figures by piled up stones that are called Inukshuks or Inuksuks. The word Inukshuk pronounced Inookshook is derived from the words Inuk and Suk or Shuk. In the Inuit language Inuk mean man and the word Suk or Shuk means like, therefor the Inuksuk or Inukshuk can be translated as "manlike" or "in the image of man". There are various types of Inukshuks and they all carry a meaning and have a purpose in marking certain places, but the Inukshuk is also used for driving caribou into hunting areas. When the caribou see the Inuksuk they move away from it and are driven in that way into the area where the Inuit hunters await them. For a traveler in the Arctic tundra the Inukshuk gives a feeling of security and calmness. The Inukshuk may be just a few stones piled up as a landmark, but in its essence it carries a very deep spiritual meaning.
Stone carving of a kayak toy. Not polished because parents didn't want children exposed to any chemicals such as varnish.
Turkic
Ref # crv6
Inukshuk soap stone carving by Ross Napayok from Copper Inuit Nation, Holman (Ulukhaktok), Victoria Island, NWT (view of front and back)
Ref # inu1 Order
Thunderbird cedar carving by Artie George from Salish Nation in East Coast, BC
Ref # artie1
The Carving Process
In the past, Inuit people, Turkic people and Turtle Island Native People made tools and utensils from stone. Soapstone was used for making bowls, while the harder rocks were used for making knives, points and axes. Parents would encourage their children from an early age to carve stone figures to get them used to making tools and utensils.
A stone of the right size is selected. Then it’s carved to the right shape using tools such as a knife, a file and a chisel. When the shape is done, fine details can be done with finer knives for that purpose. After shaping is completed, polishing is done with sandpaper going from rough sandpaper to very fine sandpaper. The finely sanded carving is then waxed or greased. At the end all the features of the stone and the figure carved clearly show.
