Inukshuk (in-ook-shook) (singular) means "made in the image of man" in the Inuktitut language (the Inuit language). The plural is Inuksuit. It is a stone monument erected in the image of a human. It is the symbol of the human soul.

These rock figurines stand along most of the coasts of northern Canada. They were built by the Inuit and required the effort of a group of people. In the inukshuk, each stone is a separate entity. Each of them is supported; it supports the rock above and it is supported by the rock below. All parts of inukshuks are equally important.

The stones are secured by the natural balance. An Inukshuk communicates direction on the desert steppes of the Arctic. Sometimes referred to as a food cache, the inukshuk is an instrument of survival. Symbol of solidarity of the nomadic peoples of the North, they were built by the Inuit as sentinels to make the trail safer and easier. When you see one, it means, “I came here before you. You are in the right direction”

An inukshuk serves a multitude of functions:

It is the result of a group of individuals who have the same goal. It recognizes our ability to transmit knowledge from generation to generation from one to another. It is the possibility of succeeding where alone we would have failed. It symbolizes fraternity, mutual aid and solidarity. The inukshuk will help the person who receives it to make the right decisions and follow the right path in life.

This small inukshuk is given as a gift today to symbolize our dependence on one another, and to remind us of the value of friendship and collective responsibility in order to build a better future for all of us.