In Inuit mythology, Nanook was the master of bears, meaning he decided if hunters had followed all applicable taboos and if they deserved success in hunting bears.

Nanook is the mascot of the University of Alaska Fairbanks and is depicted as a stylized polar bear.

The 1922 Robert Flaherty-directed movie Nanook of the North named its main character after him.

Nanook is also Inuktitut for "polar bear".