An Inuksuk symbolizes the Canadian Arctic better than any other recognizable artifact. Large ones without arms were built on top of hills to indicate the territory of a family group. An inuksuk with one arm extended was a signpost pointing towards the correct valley or pass to use. Others had a peephole in the centre so that later travellers could look through, and on the horizon would see the tiny dot of another inuksuk.

To a traveler who comes across an inuksuk in the barren arctic, the emotional effect is profound: other travelers have been this way before; perhaps even one’s ancestors. Today, they symbolize many things: leadership, cooperative venture and motivation.