The Winter Olympics are nearly upon us, and if you’ve been wondering to yourself what the logo is all about, please allow this week’s Heritage Minute to explain.

The Inukshuk, a human-looking figure made of stones piled on top of each other, is a symbol used by the Inuits to convey to others that people have been there. The Inukshuks marked potentially good hunting and fishing spots and provided some shelter.

The choice of this indigenous icon as a symbol for the Olympics has been a somewhat controversial one, but it’s now accepted that it pays tribute to the statue that stands at Vancouver’s English Bay.

This week’s Heritage Minute looks at a Mountie helping an Inuit family work on an Inukshuk.

Heritage Minutes are 60-second short films that are shown in between some TV shows in Canada — and they’re amazing. We’re planning to bring you a “Heritage Minute” every Thursday on COTW.

Enjoy.