What do Indigenous symbols represent in Canada?

Indigenous symbols in Canada represent the histories, spiritual beliefs, kinship structures, and relationships with the land of First Nations, Inuit, and Métis peoples. They include totem poles of the Pacific coast, inukshuit of the Inuit, the Métis infinity flag, ribbon shirts and skirts of the Plains nations, Haudenosaunee wampum belts, Mi'kmaq quillwork, and Anishinaabe birch-bark scrolls. Each symbol carries meaning for the specific nation that created it, and interpretation belongs to that community.

The inukshuk, a stone landmark used by Inuit to navigate the treeless tundra and to mark caches of food or routes of caribou, has become a widely recognised symbol of welcome and Canadian identity. An inukshuk forms the centrepiece of the flag of Nunavut, adopted on April 1, 1999, and was the official emblem of the Vancouver 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games.

The Métis flag carries a horizontal white infinity symbol on a blue or red field and is the oldest patriotic flag native to Western Canada, predating the Maple Leaf flag by more than a century. Wampum belts of the Haudenosaunee, woven from purple and white shell beads, record treaties, agreements, and historical narratives, with the Two Row Wampum (Gus-Wen-Tah) recording the 1613 covenant of non-interference between the Haudenosaunee and Dutch traders.

Reconciliation work has restored Indigenous symbols to public spaces. The Canadian Heraldic Authority grants arms to Indigenous nations using their own symbols. Ribbon skirts and orange shirts now appear at school assemblies on the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation each September 30, and Indigenous languages and place names are increasingly used in federal signage, currency, and broadcasting.