Inukshuk, or inuksuk, (in'-ook-shook; oo as in "look") plural inuksuit (in'-ook-shoo-it). An Inuktitut¹ word defined by the Nunavut Arctic College Archaeology Glossary (D. Stenton [1997])as:

A type of archaeological feature consisting of rocks piled in the shape of, or to indicate, a human form. Inuksuit are a common feature on the land, assume many forms and sizes, and serve a variety of different purposes.

It might be more accurate to describe the stones as stacked rather than piled.

The government of the new Canadian Territory of Nunavut² uses the inukshuk as the central symbol of the territorial flag and as a prominent part of the territorial coat of arms. The government describes inuksuit as:

stone monuments which guide people on the land and mark sacred and other special places.

The Inukshuk has become a familiar symbol of the North throughout Canada and modern examples are now found scattered across the country, like this urban example.

A picture of a more traditional inukshuk in its natural environment may be viewed here.

"sacred and other special places"

In June of 2002, Canadian soldiers in Kandahar, Afghanistan (far from the North) constructed an Inukshuk from local stone as a memorial to their four comrades who had been killed the previous April by a 500 pound laser guided bomb dropped on them by an American Air National Guard pilot. The pilot had mistaken a Canadian live-fire exercise on a designated training range for hostile fire directed at his patrol.

Cpl. Ainsworth Dyer, Sgt. Marc Leger, Pte. Richard Green and Pte. Nathan Smith, died that night. Eight other Canadian soldiers were wounded. Their Inukshuk points home.