Handmade Inuit sculpture titled “Inukshuk” in serpentine stone by Isa Oqutaq of Cape Dorset, Nunavut.
The Inukshuk (or inuksuk), meaning “in the likeness of a human” in Inuktitut, holds profound symbolic importance in Inuit culture. These stone structures, built by stacking rocks without mortar, served as vital guides in the vast, featureless Arctic landscape — marking safe routes, hunting grounds, food caches, or warnings of danger. Beyond their practical role in survival, they embody deeper values such as cooperation, community strength, guidance, hope, and human presence in an often harsh environment. Today, the Inukshuk remains a powerful emblem of Inuit resilience and solidarity, famously featured on the flag of Nunavut.
