The following day we took a brief tour of the town and, in addition to the previous form, we saw a new type of construction in which the house or building was placed on steel piles driven twenty to forty feet into the ground to get past the effects of the permafrost. Obviously this is a very expensive way to build. One went up two steps to enter. I was able to visit a gallery while I was in Iqaluit. It was just across the street from the airport.
Carvings are considerably less expensive in the north than they are farther south, fortunately.
I recognized my choice as soon as I set my eyes on it, but I completed my tour of the display before purchasing it. It is a large standing owl with wings spread, and below each wing tip is a dancing shaman with a drum. Clearly they are calling up the protective spirit of the owl, and it is there, towering over them. The owl has inlaid eyes. The beak and claws use the real claws from some bird or animal.