Scott’s Blog Experience

Hands up if you know what an Inukshuk is — no clue?

Here’s all you wanted to know about Inukshuks as well as a heads up for Olympic fans.

Vancouver, British Columbia is the host city of the 2010 Winter Olympics. Preparations are well underway with major construction projects in progress as well as major marketing of these Olympic Games.

The logo for the 2010 Olympics is called Illanaaq the Inukshuk.

An inukshuk is a traditional stone marker used by the Inuit to guide their way across the sometimes featureless Arctic. Illanaaq is Inuktitut (language of the Inuit) for “friend.” This grey granite statue representing a human form with outstretched arms is a well-known symbol in Canada of northern hospitality and friendship. The five different coloured stones of the logo represent the five Olympic rings.

And no, there are no Eskimos in Canada. The word “Eskimo” is often used erroneously to label the aboriginal people of Canada’s Arctic.

The English word “Eskimo” comes from the French “Esquimaux” — the origins of this French word are unclear. Many Inuit consider the word Eskimo offensive, but is still in general usage to refer to all Eskimo peoples, though it has fallen into disuse throughout Canada, where Canadians use the term Inuit.

The Vancouver Olympic logo was inspired by the Inukshuk monument constructed originally by Alvin Kanak of Rankin Inlet.

This monument was commissioned by the Government of the Northwest Territories for its pavilion at Vancouver’s Expo 86, and given to the City of Vancouver. It is situated on English Bay in Vancouver’s West End.

If you’ve never visited Vancouver, take a look at the video Inspired by Dreams. You’ll see spectacular views of Vancouver’s natural beauty and culture.

Larry Hnetka is a Guest Blogger from Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. Larry’s weblog is an eclectic assortment of the everyday things that simply make him stop, think and often go HMmmm.