A Prickly Inukshuk – Desert Botanical Garden, Papago Park, Phoenix, Arizona

Cylindropuntia spinosior, with the common names include cane cholla, spiny cholla and walkingstick cactus, is a cactus species of the North American deserts. It is native to Arizona and New Mexico in the United States; and Chihuahua and Sonora in Mexico. In Australia, the species is regarded as an emerging weed threat where it is known as snake cactus. It is a declared noxious weed in New South Wales where it was first observed in 2000/2001. It is also naturalized in South Australia and Queensland.

Cylindropuntia spinosior grows to between 0.4 and 1.2 metres in height and has spine-covered stems. Flowers may be rose, red purple, yellow, or white and appear from spring to early summer. These are followed by fruits that are yellow with occasional red or purple tinges.

Inukshuk (also spelled inuksuk, plural inuksuit) is a figure made of piled stones or boulders constructed to communicate with humans throughout the Arctic. Inuksuit have been found adjacent to archaeological sites dating from 2400 to 1800 BCE in the Mingo Lake region of southwest Baffin Island. Inuksuit are placed throughout the Arctic landscape acting as "helpers" to the Inuit. Among their many practical functions, they are used as hunting and navigational aids, coordination points and message centres (e.g., they might indicate where food was cached). In addition to their earthly functions, certain inuksuk-like figures have spiritual connotations, and are objects of veneration, often marking the spiritual landscape of the Inummariit – the Inuit who know how to survive on the land living in their traditional way.

The Inuit also construct a stone figure called an inunnguaq, which means "in the likeness of a human." This familiar stone figure with head, body, legs and arms is often mistakenly referred to as an inuksuk. Its purpose is more symbolic than functional. Because of its humanoid appearance in the likeness of a little person, its image has become a popular cross-cultural symbol.