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It's an inukshuk.

 

An inukshuk (pl. inuksuit) is a stone formation traditionally built by the Inuit. (An inukshuk graces the territorial flag—pictured above.) Originally spelled inuksuk, the word means “to act in the capacity of a human.”

 

Formations dating back to 2400-1800 BCE can be found on Canada’s Baffin Island, but inuksuit are prevalent throughout Nunavut.


Inuksuit were vital for navigating the vast, barren region where much of the landscape looks the same. The presence of an inukshuk might indicate a food source (like a food cache or a good fishing spot), serve as a warning marker (if an area was icy or unsafe), or act as a coordinate for travelers. Inuksuit was also used to herd and hunt caribou: women and children would chase caribou towards the rock piles while male hunters waited behind them with bows and arrows.

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