The Royal Canadian Mint unveiled a special two-dollar circulation coin Tuesday celebrating Inuit Nunangat — a region that encompasses the Inuit homeland in Canada.
The launch of the new toonie marks the first of its kind for Canada’s circulation coins and was designed by four Inuit artists, each representing one of the four regions of Inuit Nunangat: Nunatsiavut, Nunavik, Nunavut and the Inuvialuit Settlement Region.
The Inuit homeland covers approximately 40 per cent of Canada’s total land mass and over 70 per cent of its coastline.
On the coin, Inuit unity is symbolized through the four artists’ joint representation of the story of Nuliajuk, the spirit of the sea, and an ulu (knife) representing each of their homes within the Inuit homeland.
“Nuliajuk’s story is one of the most important in Inuit culture, and we are excited that she will now be honoured in Canadian currency, the way we have honoured her in our hearts and imaginations since time immemorial,” Natan Obed, president of Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami, said in a Tuesday media release.
The inner core of the coin features an image of Nuliajuk wearing a parka, and clockwise from Nuliajuk are a walrus, two beluga whales, a seal and an arctic char. The inscription “Inuit Nunangat” appears on the left. The coin’s obverse features the effigy of King Charles III.
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The coin will begin circulating on Tuesday.
“Walking the path of reconciliation includes honouring the rich cultural contributions of Indigenous Peoples,” Canada’s Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance Chrystia Freeland said in a media release.
“Inuit have called the North home for time immemorial, and it is fitting that the toonie—whose iconic polar bear has long spotlighted the Arctic—will now share the vibrant Inuit culture and distinct ways of life in Inuit Nunangat with all Canadians.”
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