654) Inuksuk: Iconic Canada: A $20 1 Oz Gold plated pure Silver Coin from the Royal Canadian Mint in January 2018:
For other interesting posts from the Royal Canadian Mint, please visit the following links:
For other interesting posts from the Royal Canadian Mint, please visit the following links:
A $20 Silver coin has been issued by the Royal Canadian Mint in January 2018, which showcases Canada's most recognisable landmarks which are found pre-dominantly in the more Northern locations of the country - that of the Inuksuk.
The rough-hewn elegance and spiritual meaning of an Inuksuk indicates to its practicality as a navigational and communication tool for Arctic travellers. To the Inuit, it is regarded as a guide or warning to those who follow in their footsteps across the often harsh Northern landscape.
It is Canada's foremost symbol of the common spirit of community and friendship, even in times of adversity. The Inuksuk with its human-like shape with open arms makes it a beautiful representation of Canada's great Northern spirit and an inspiring token, welcoming one and all to the land.
So highly regarded are these iconic landmarks of Canada with their early ties to the ancient peoples/Nations of Northern Canada that the Inuksuk was included in the design of the official provincial flag on Nunavat on 01.04.1999.
The Commemorative Coin:
On the Reverse of the $20 Gold plated Silver Coin is seen an Inuit stone marker rising up from a mound. The silver surface of the Coin adds extra shine to this human-like landmark, which carries special significance as a communication tool in addition to being a hunting and navigational aid for the Inuit.
Built from stacked stones of different sizes, this Inuksuk stands like a guardian of its Northern lands, its open arms pointing the way to the North as the stylised Aurora Borealis (Northern Lights) dances overhead.
Included on this face are "Canada" (the name of the issuing country) on the upper periphery, the year of issue "2018" on the centre right periphery, the coin denomination " 20 DOLLARS" on the lower periphery and the designer's initials "TB" on the centre left periphery.
The Obverse of the $20 Gold Plated Silver Coin depictsan effigy of Queen Elizabeth facing right, which has been designed by Susanna Blunt and has featured on all Canadian circulation coins and many commemorative coins since 2003.
The Queen's effigy is without gold-plating. The peripheral inscriptions are - "ELIZABETH II, D.G. REGINA" ("Elizabeth II, By the grace of God Queen"). On the lower periphery is a "P" mark to indiacate the Gold Plated nature of this coin.
The specifications of this coin are:
Denomination: $20; Metal Composition: .999 Silver; Weight: 31.3 grams; Diameter/Size: 38.0 mm; Edge: Serrated; Coin Quality: Proof with Gold Plating; Maximum Mintage: 5,000 pieces; Year of issue: 2018; Minted by: Royal Canadian Mint; Designers: Tony Bianco (Reverse), Susanna Blunt (Obverse).
The coin is encapsulated and presented in a Royal Canadian Mint- branded maroon clamshell with a black outer protective box and accompanied by a serialised Certificate of Authenticity.
About Inuksuk:
An Inuksuk (or Inuksuit in plural) is a human-made stone landmark or cairn (human made pile or stack of stones) used by the Inuit, Inupiat, Kalaallit, Yupik and other peoples of the Arctic region of North America. The word "Inuksuk" means "that which acts in the capacity of a human" ("Inuk" means "person" and "Shuk" means "substitute"). Inuksuit were the means of communication among humans throughout the Arctic.
Inuksuits have been found near archaeological sites some dating as far back as 2400 BC to 1800 BC in the Mingo Lake region of Southwest Baffin Island.
A structure similar to an Inuksuk but, which represented a human figure found in some places) was called an "Inunnguaq" (meaning "imitation of a person" or "capacity to act like a human".) Some of these sport arms and symbolise the presence of humans. Because of their humanoid appearance in the likeness of a person, these structures have become a popular cross-cultural symbol.
These structures are found in Alaska, USA and all the way to Greenland. The region above the Arctic Circle is dominated by the Tundra biome and has areas with few natural landmarks.
The Inukshuk may have been used for navigation, as a point of reference, co-ordination points, message centres (particularly indicating where food was cached, a marker for travel routes, navigational aids fishing places, camps and hunting grounds, drift fences used in hunting or to mark a food cache.
Inuksuits basically acted as "helpers" to the early peoples.
In addition to their earthly functions, certain Inuksuk-like figures had spiritual connotations and are objects of veneration, often marking the spiritual landscape of the Inummariit - the Inuit who know to survive on the land living in their traditional way.
Inuksuits basically acted as "helpers" to the early peoples.
In addition to their earthly functions, certain Inuksuk-like figures had spiritual connotations and are objects of veneration, often marking the spiritual landscape of the Inummariit - the Inuit who know to survive on the land living in their traditional way.
The Inupiat in Northern Alaska used Inuksuit to assist in the herding of caribou into contained slaughter areas.
The most common types of Inuksuk are built with stone placed upon stone, the simplest type of which is a single stone positioned in an upright manner. The nature of the local stone largely determined the shape and size of the Inuksuk and how it is constructed. Rough, irregular igneous rocks and large flat boulders of varying thickness allow for the construction of limitless shapes; boulders on the other hand are more challenging to work with. Rounded boulders offer the least possibility of variation in shaping an Inuksuk and can only be stacked into a pyramid. An Inuksuk constructed of boulders tends to be massive because of its base-to-height ratio and is often referred to as an "Inuksummarik" or an "Inuksukjuaq", often constructed to serve as important directional aids.
There are four general shapes of Inuksuit - easily recognised and which show a wide range of expression:
The most basic kind of Inuksuit is the "Nalunaikkutaq", which literally means "Deconfuser" and is made of a single upright stone placed on its end.
A second group of Inuksuit is called "Tikkuuti" which are pointers of different sizes and shapes. These can appear as triangular-shaped rock lying flat on the ground or as simple but useful arrangements of rocks appearing in a straight line, with the largest rock at one end grading down to the smallest at the other end indicating the direction to be taken.
The third type is an "Inuksummarik" or an "Inuksuhjuaq" which is larger than the average size and can be seen even from a distance. These Inuksuit act as major co-ordination points.
The fourth type is used as a "message centre", in addition to its original purpose. There is an arrangement of stones at their base left by a hunter for aiding other hunters.
Several Inuksuit called "Nuingvaliruluit" have a window through which one can align with another Inukshuk and thus project a sightline to a place below the horizon.
Among the largest and most conspicuous Inuksuit are those that direct the traveller by acting as indicators or as navigational aids.
The construction of huge Inuksuit was often a community effort.
At Enusko Point on Baffin Island, there are over 100 Inuksuit. The site was designated as a National Historic Site of Canada in 1969.
Present Day:
Inuksuits are symbols of an Inuit culture from ancient times.
An Inuksuk is the centre-piece of the Flag and Coat of Arms of the Canadian territory of Nunavat and he Flag of Nunatslavat. A red Inuksuk in front of a yellow and white background, a blue star representing the "Nigirtsuituq" (the North Star) and the leadership of elders in the community has represented Canada's newest province in 29 years, the flag having been adopted in 1999.
The Flag of Nunavat showing an Inukshuk
An Inunguaq was the basis for the logo of the 2010 Winter Olympics.
Inuksuits have been donated by the Canadian Government to several nations as a symbol of friendship.
The Inuksuk was the symbol of the "Summit of the Americas" because of its connotations of "guidance and unity.... towards common goals."
Several hikers and campers in wilderness parks throughout Canada still construct Inuksuits for watching over their safety during camping, a throw-back to the ancient cultures.
Several sculptors still build stylised images of Inuksuits as a "work of Art".
The tallest Inuksuk presently is believed to be the one built at Schomberg, Ontario, Canada, which was built in 2007 and stands at 11.33 metres (37.33 feet) tall.
Post script:
Shri Ramchandra Lalingkar has sent me the above image of an Inukshuk. He has further elaborated:
"On reading this post, regarding "Inukshuk", I was reminded of my visit to Vancouver in 2010. I visited this place where a huge structure, about 50 feet high, has been constructed on the sea-shore of Vancouver. A photograph taken by me of the structure and the "plaque" placed at the feet of the structure giving the information about the "Inukshuk", I am sharing as a collage of both".
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