Kenn Harper (aka Ilisaijikutaaq, tall teacher[) is a Canadian writer, historian and former businessman. 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.]
Early life
Harper relocated to the Arctic in 1966 as a teacher at Broughton Island, now known as Qikiqtarjuaq.[ Harper, Arctic historian, knighted by Denmark] He later lived in Padloping Island, Pangnirtung, Arctic Bay (all in the Canadian Eastern Arctic) and Qaanaaq, Greenland,[ and worked at various times as a teacher, development officer, and entrepreneur.][ Give Me My Father's Body : The Life of Minik, The New York Eskimo, book jacket biography] He eventually settled in Iqaluit, Nunavut, where he bought the Arctic Ventures general store, which was previously owned by Bryan Pearson. He sold the company to Arctic Co-operatives Limited in 2012.[ A Nunavut institution changes hands: ACL buys Arctic Ventures][ Extreme shopping - Iqaluit]
Harper became known as a historian of the Arctic. For ten years (2005-2015), he wrote "Taissumani", a regular column on Arctic history in Nunatsiaq News.[ Taissumanni, a weekly article of historical interest by Harper, published in the Nunatsiaq News] He is a Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society, and the Royal Canadian Geographical Society.[ In 1986 he published Give Me My Father's Body: The Life 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.][ Kenn Harper at Salon.com] It was republished under the same title in 2000 by Steerforth Press. In 2017 Steerforth Press published a much-expanded version, containing new information on Minik's life, under the title Minik, The New York Eskimo.
From 2005 to 2017, Harper was Honorary Danish Consul, an unpaid posting in Iqaluit.[ Nunavut historian, linguist, teacher, businessman becomes Danish knight]
Harper is also an enthusiastic wrestling fan, notable for bringing Maximum Pro Wrestling to Iqaluit as a charity show to raise money for youth sports.
Harper is fluent in English, Inuktitut and conversational Danish language.
Works
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Give Me My Father's Body: The Life of Minik, The New York Eskimo. Iqaluit: Blacklead Books, 1986, and South Royalton, Vermont: Steerforth Press, 2000.
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In Those Days: Collected Writings on Arctic History. Book 1: Inuit Lives. Iqaluit: Inhabit Media, 2014.
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In Those Days: Collected Writings on Arctic History. Book 2: Arctic Crime and Punishment. Iqaluit: Inhabit Media, 2015.
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Minik, The New York Eskimo. Hanover, New Hampshire: Steerforth Press, 2017.
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Thou Shalt Do No Murder: Inuit, Injustice and the Canadian Arctic. Iqaluit: Nunavut Arctic College Media, 2017.
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In Those Days: Collected Writings on Arctic History. Book 3: Tales of Arctic Whaling. Iqaluit: Inhabit Media, 2018.
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In Those Days: Collected Writings on Arctic History. Book 4: Shamans, Spirits, and Faith in the Inuit North. Iqaluit: Inhabit Media, 2019.
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In Those Days: Collected Writings on Arctic History. Book 5: Inuit and Explorers. Iqaluit: Inhabit Media, 2022.
