Name Kenn Harper | Role Writer | |
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Books Give me my father's body, Inuit Lives, Arctic Crime and Punishment, Die Seele meines Vaters Mi, Minik - El Esquimal De Nuev | ||
Kenn Harper (aka Ilisaijikutaaq, tall teacher) is a Canadian writer, historian and former grocer. He is the author of Give Me My Father's Body, an account of Greenland Inuk Minik Wallace, had a regular column on Arctic history in Nunatsiaq News and is a former landlord.
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Early life
Harper relocated to the Arctic in 1967 as a teacher on Padloping Island. He later lived in Qikiqtarjuaq and Greenland, and worked at various times as a teacher, development officer, and entrepreneur. He eventually settled in Iqaluit, Nunavut, where he bought the Arctic Ventures grocery store, which was previously owned by Bryan Pearson. He sold the company to Arctic Co-operatives Ltd in 2012.
Harper became known as a historian of the Arctic. He writes "Taissumani", regular column on history in Nunatsiaq News. He is a Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society. In 2000 he published Give Me My Father's Body: The Story of Minik, the New York Eskimo, which tells the story of Minik Wallace, a member of the Inughuit or "Polar Eskimo" tribe who was among a group taken by Robert Peary from his home in northwest Greenland to New York City.
In 2005, Harper was appointed Danish Honorary Consul, an unpaid posting in Iqaluit. On 9 June 2014, Harper was recognised by the Government of Denmark for his work with the presentation of the Order of the Dannebrog. The appointment of Ridder (Knight) had been made in April and was approved by the Government of Canada.
Harper is also an enthusiastic wrestling fan, notable for bringing Maximum Pro Wrestling to Iqaluit.
Harper is fluent in English, Inuktitut and conversational Danish.