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Symbols of Nunavut
Nunavut has now joined in the world-wide tradition of adopting birds, animals, minerals and other creatures and substances to officially represent the territory.
Soon after the formation of Nunavut on April 1, 1999, the Speaker of the Legislature asked residents for suggestions for symbols, and received 249 responses. MLAs then had the difficult task of choosing the most appropriate ones. They chose:
- Territorial Flower - Purple Saxifrage (Saxifraga oppositifolia). It is already featured on the territory's coat of arms.
- Territorial Bird - Ptarmigan (Lagopus mutus). Click the painting above to greatly enlarge it.
- Territorial Animal - qimmiq, the Canadian Inuit Dog (Canis familiaris borealis). This historically significant breed, also known as the Canadian Eskimo Dog or CED, has already been honoured by the Canadian postage stamp seen below. For a great deal more information on them, see the links at "Everything Husky!".
Speaker Kevin O'Brien said, "All Nunavummiut can be proud of these new symbols. We now join other Canadian jurisdictions in having our own symbols that reflect the natural beauty and diversity of our land."
An interpretive display on the symbols of Nunavut will be developed over the summer for the Great Hall of the Legislative Assembly, and will be unveiled at the commencement of its next Session.
These symbols join the other symbols of various types already in place:
- Coat of Arms, featuring a caribou (tuktu), narwhal (qilalugaq tugaalik) and several other symbols.
- Flag, featuring an inuksuk and Niqirtsuituq, the North Star.
- License Plate, featuring a polar bear.
More Symbols of State
