There’s an old myth that there are 52 words for snow in Inuktitut – which speaks to the preciseness of the language to encompass what Inuit mean, how they think and what they create. There is one single word in English - ‘culture’ - which can have over 160 meanings. Well, we prefer illiqusiq which means ‘the way it is done’ — encompassing all the authentic aspects of the Inuit way of life, our land and our heritage. And sanaugait, meaning ‘things made by hand’ for arts and crafts. We make our own clothing, carvings, prints, paintings, photographs, plays, films, music, poetry and songs and dances that all make up Inuit culture and all will make you smile, laugh, cry, sing and dance and make memories forever. 

Authentic Nunavut in English, is the official government brand for Nunavut arts and crafts. Every work of art marked with this tag is an authentic piece of Nunavut. The concept of authenticity reflects the integrity of each piece, each artist and the land. Some communities also have their own specific marks or chops to designate authenticity including Cape Dorset, Pangnirtung and Baker Lake.