New $2 coin celebrates Inuit culture and the vast homeland of Inuit Nunangat

This artistic depiction of the story of Nuliajuk can be found in the colourful inner core of the new $2 commemorative circulation coin unveiled Tuesday by the Royal Canadian Mint.

The spirit of the sea, Nuliajuk, is depicted on the inner blue circle of the new $2 commemorative circulation coin, unveiled Tuesday by the Royal Canadian Mint. She wears an atigi, or parka, and her grey and black seal’s tail can be seen beside her sea creatures — a walrus, two beluga whales, a seal and Arctic char.

The blue inner core of the coin features an image of Nuliajuk, spirit of the sea, wearing an atigi, and clockwise are a walrus, two beluga whales, a seal, and an Arctic char. On the right of the outer ring are four artistic interpretations of uluit. The inscription “Inuit Nunangat” appears on the left. (Image courtesy of Royal Canadian Mint)

The coin’s artists Tegan Voisey, Thomassie Mangiok, Charlotte Karetak and Mary Okheena, are from the four regions of Inuit Nunagat — Nunavik, Nunavut, Nunatsiavut and Inuvialuit Settlement Region.

Only Voisey and Mangiok were able to travel to Ottawa to attend the unveiling.

On the coin, regional distinctions are made clear through their engravings of four different uluit, or traditional cutting tools, on the right of the blue circle.

Both the mint and Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami, Canada’s national Inuit organization, were involved in the coin’s design.

Artists were allowed “to bring our own vision” to the project, said Voisey. A self-taught artist, she began working on the coin’s walrus and narwhal drawings in the summer of 2023.

Each artist worked on their designs remotely in their own regions, collaborating through virtual meetings.

“The challenge was really the distance,” said Mangiok, who helped create the seal and Arctic char drawings, as well as the ‘Inuit Nunangat’ inscription and traditional Inuit pattern on the outer ring.

“We were separated by hundreds or thousands of kilometres, with internet issues and different time zones.”

The end result, however, was “a singular, seamless depiction of Nuliajuk’s story,” said Richardson.

Natan Obed, president of ITK, spoke of the organization’s direct relationship with King Charles, whose effigy is on the other side of the commemorative coin.

“We’ve talked about doing work together on the repatriation of cultural items within the United Kingdom,” Obed said. “And now that face that is on the currency we’re talking about today has a direct connection to upholding, supporting and celebrating Inuit self-determination.”

The new $2 coin will begin circulating Nov. 7 with three million being minted.

This is not the first time the mint has created a commemorative circulation coin celebrating Canada’s Arctic and the Inuit community.

In 1999, it issued a commemorative toonie to mark the founding of Nunavut on April 1 that year. The backside of the coin, featuring a drum dancer, was designed by Igloolik-born artist Germaine Arncoinaktauyok.

Another commemorative $2 coin was circulated in 2023 to celebrate National Indigenous Peoples Day and featured a collaboration of First Nations, Inuit and Metis artists, one of whom was from Inuvialuit Settlement Region.