Inuit lamp symbol approved for headstones at national military cemetery

Aaju Peter lights a qulliq before a swearing-in ceremony at the Nunavut legislature in Iqaluit on Thursday, Nov. 20, 2025.

OTTAWA — A traditional Inuit lamp has been approved as an optional spiritual emblem for engraving on headstones at the National Military Cemetery.

The qulliq emblem was unveiled today at Beechwood Cemetery in Ottawa in a ceremony attended by Gov. Gen. Mary Simon.

The lamp symbolizes light, warmth, guidance and survival, and is meant to reflect Inuit members of the Canadian Armed Forces.

First Nations and Métis cultural symbols for headstones in the National Military Cemetery were unveiled in 2022.

The First Nations medicine wheel and Métis infinity symbol are among a dozen religious and spiritual symbols that can be engraved on military headstones at the cemetery.

The introduction of the symbols was the result of a collaborative process between the federal government and Indigenous groups meant to better represent Indigenous spirituality.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 19, 2026.

Alessia Passafiume, The Canadian Press