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Okpik, Abraham
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Abraham Okpik, 1929-1997, was born near Kipnik in the Mackenzie Delta of the Northwest Territories. As a youth he suffered from tuberculosis and a leg injury, but became a respected hunter and trapper. He became a translator, administrator, and Inuit leader. In 1965 he was the first Inuk to sit on the Territorial Council. In 1968-1970 he headed Operation Surname, a project that allowed the Inuit to be known by their names, rather than by numbers. He eventually made his home in Iqaluit, now in Nunavut. He was made a member of the Order of Canada. He was married to Martha Ningeok, and had several children including Roy Inglangasuk. During 1969-1971 he was commissioned by the Riveredge Foundation to visit Arctic communities and record songs, stories and legends of the elders.
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Glenbow Archives