The Inukshuk Emblem: Opportunity or Opportunism?

I was invited to participate at the Northern Communications Conference in Whitehorse (March 3-5, 2008). My presentation was based on the research project I am currently conducting as part of my Masters’ thesis. I am a graduate student with the department of adult education at UBC in Vancouver (http://www.ncconference2008.ca/Speakers/tabid/54/Default.aspx)

In 2005 the Vancouver Organizing Committee for the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games (VANOC) launched its emblem Illanaaq, a stylized inukshuk, with the aim to “illustrate” the Games. Perhaps for the first time in the history of the Olympics, particular attention has been placed on Aboriginal participation in the pre-Games. Indigenous participation in past Games, such as Calgary and Salt Lake City, has focused primarily on ceremonies and cultural programs. VANOC has said that they plan to go beyond that “to set the bar higher, with the hope that future Organizing Committees can be inspired and learn from our experience”. I am attracted to images and their meaning. One of the source texts I am reading is Gillian Roses’ Visual Methodologies in order to refine the approach I will be taking in my image-based research project. The visual is central to the cultural construction of social life in contemporary Western societies. We are constantly bombarded by images that offer views of the world. Research in the area of visual culture suggests that the rendering of the world in visual terms is never innocent. Images interpret the world and display it in very particular ways. The purpose of my critical qualitative study is to identify, describe and analyse the information made available by VANOC.

By using a document case study I intend to observe, understand and critique the images made available for learning by this organization. My aim is to contribute to creating awareness of commonly overlooked symbolic elements that could be taken for granted in this context. I chose the title Opportunity or Opportunism, because I believe there is great potential for sharing and learning before, during and after this event. I would like to take a close look at these opportunities. An opportunity is a favourable time for progress and advancement but opportunism takes advantage of an opportunity to achieve an end but often with no regard for principles or consequences. Where does the creation of the VANOC emblem fall? I thought this conference would be a very important space to discuss this topic. For that reason I came here to share some of the sample materials I will be studying, discuss them and raise some questions. My main hope was to have enough time to get participants’ feedback. I knew in advance that the objective of the conference was to continue to figure out ways of communicating the realities of the North to the South on issues that would go beyond the stereotypical northern topics “polar bears and igloos”… or those issues that specifically affect the south, “global warming and sovereignty”

The following is a VANOC’s press release from April 23, 2005 http://www.vancouver2010.com/en/OrganizingCommittee/MediaCentre/NewsReleases/2006/01/13/92_0601131509-781

“The Vancouver 2010 emblem is a contemporary interpretation of the traditional inukshuk, a stone sculpture used by Canada's Inuit people as directional landmarks across the northern Canadian lands of snow and ice. Over time, the inukshuk has become a representation of hope, friendship and an external expression of the hospitality of a nation that warmly welcomes the people of the world with open arms. The distinctive formations are found across the country - from coastlines to mountaintops, from small towns to large cities - in a variety of styles. Unveiled during a live nation-wide television broadcast, the Vancouver 2010 emblem shows the deep connection between Canadians and their breathtaking environment. The emblem features five stone-like formations depicted in vibrant colours found in both the natural features of the Vancouver-Whistler Games host region and across Canada. Green and blues represent coastal forests, mountain ranges and spectacular islands. The red is for Canada's signature maple leaf and the gold evokes images of the brilliant sunrises that paint the Vancouver skyline and snow-capped mountain peaks. The Vancouver 2010 emblem is named ILANAAQ - the Inuit word for friend”. Questions such us the following were raised soon after reading this article: what purpose does Ilanaaq serve? What is the connection between the North and the South in this context? Is this emblem’s aim to represent Canada? The artic? The Inuit people? Vancouver and Whistler? How is that portrayed? I also shared a page from the VANOC’s website which I incorporated into my thesis’ proposal.

http://www.vancouver2010.com/en/LookVancouver2010/Vancouver2010OlympicGamesEmblem

In brief statements I discussed the photographs and the content of this excerpt. I clarified that the photos were taken in Vancouver and Whistler respectively and that the three images from this webpage are not from the north. According to Norman Hallendy (2000), “inuksuit have become icons used to sell telephones and financial services, beer and sugared drinks. The figure adorns ball caps, sweatshirts and coffee mugs, and is much sought after as an object d’art” (p. 97). The sad irony, he says, is that in the growing interest in Inuksuit the wisdom of their creators is dying with the passing of each of the elders who once had lived on the land. I mentioned that in my view, the organizers of the Games have made a de facto promise to give Aboriginal communities a level of prominence never before seen at the Olympics. Some of the questions I raised were: Is this just clever marketing or a real attempt to show Aboriginal people respect and to show the rest of Canada (and the world) something more about First peoples and the North? In other words, there is a clear opportunity here to share aboriginal knowledge but is this opportunity being used to get across all these ideas and realities of life in the North and issues that the North faces (the ones that go beyond stereotypes), or is it nothing more than a cynical use of a northern symbol that the organizers of the Games have no intention to use to communicate important ideas about the North but simply use it as a marketing tool to promote other set of corporate ideals?

My crowd was full of government officials, most of them from the south but living in the north. They raised their own questions about whether my findings were going to be available and if I was planning to involve some elders in my research process. I clarified that for now I was planning to concentrate on the promotional materials made available by VANOC but I would hope that this research project would open other doors and invite some people to look beyond the surface of images. Somebody asked me if I was suggesting to change the emblem to what I answered that the emblem was already in place… and I was trying to understand the motivations behind it.

An Inuit elder told me that they were very happy when they found out that the “Inukshuk” had been chosen amongst 1,600 entries to the emblem contest. They saw it as a great Northern victory in the South… many people applauded his comment. I was happy to raise some questions. I had a very short time to convey further ideas. There was a quote from Bellfy (2005) whoch I couldn’t share with the participants but that I firmly agree with. It says that “popular culture norms are designed to remind everyone, Native and non-Native alike, that there is a dominant culture that has determined how Indigenous identity is to be constructed, and, who owns and controls their images”. Some Inuit people approached me after the presentation to offer help. They gave me their email address and welcomed my questions… any time. A young Caucasian fellow from Yellowknife, who’s graphic company is designing some packaging for souvenir inuksuit to be sold in Vancouver soon, told me that he would be interested in my research as well… as they are trying to decide how they are going to present this “can or package” containing an inukshuk.

It was overall very interesting to be there. First of all because it is my first “official” presentation of my project (it certainly helps to be presentation the idea in front of an audience) and second because it gave me some feedback about the different possible reactions this project could generate in people. Somebody asked me if I was planning to share my findings with VANOC, I said I would invite them to attend my thesis’ defense! Share