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John Burrows Executive Director Center For World Indigenous Studies ()-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=() ||/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\|| ||=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-|| || || || The Fourth World Documentation Project runs entirely on grants || || and private donations. If you find this information service || || useful to you in any way, please consider making a donation to || || help keep it running. CWIS is a non-profit [U.S. 501(c)(3)] || || organization. All donations are completely tax deductible. || || Donations may be made to: || || || || The Center For World Indigenous Studies || || ATTN: FWDP || || P.O. Box 2574 || || Olympia, Washington USA || || 98507-2574 || || Thank You, || || CWIS Staff || || || ||=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-|| ||\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/|| ()=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-() ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: :: This file has been created under the loving care of :: :: -= THE FOURTH WORLD DOCUMENTATION PROJECT =- :: :: A service provided by :: :: The Center For World Indigenous Studies :: :: :: :: THE FOURTH WORLD DOCUMENTATION PROJECT ARCHIVES :: :: http://www.halcyon.com/FWDP/fwdp.html :: :: THE CENTER FOR WORLD INDIGENOUS STUDIES :: :: http://www.halcyon.com/FWDP/cwisinfo.html :: ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: DOCUMENT: KUPTANA.TXT P R O F I L E --------- ROSEMARIE KUPTANA PRESIDENT, INUIT CIRCUMPOLAR CONFERENCE Born in 1954, Rosemarie Kuptana grew up in a traditional Inuit hunting society and spoke only Inuvialuktun (the Western Arctic dialect of the Inuit language) until the age of eight. Her home community of Sachs Harbour, Northwest Territories is a village of about 100 people on the Beaufort Sea in the far western Arctic region of Canada. At eight, Rosemarie was taken away by police from her family and community to attend a government residential school for indigenous children four hundreds miles away from her home. As was typical of the education policies applied to indigenous peoples in the 1960's and early 1970 s, she was forced to speak only English and to adopt a foreign way of living. Her early struggles to resist assimilation into white Euro-Canadian culture helped shaped Ms. Kuptana's determination throughout her adult life to promote Inuit culture and defend the Inuit right to self-determination. She has been guided by the values instilled in her by her parents, William and Sarah Kuptana, her grandparents and extended Inuit family. Rosemarie became involved in Inuit organizations around 1975 when discussions first began between Inuit and the Government of Canada to reach formal agreements regarding Inuit land rights. In 1979, Rosemarie began a career in broadcasting by joining the Northern Service Branch of the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, hosting morning and radio shows on CBC Western Arctic. Her programs focused on the cultural, social and political issues of the day, including the Inuvialuit land claim negotiations and the oil and gas exploration taking place in the Beaufort Sea. Rosemarie subsequently joined the Inuit Broadcasting Corporation (IBC). IBC was established with a mandate to produce and transmit radio and T.V. programs in Inuktitut, as well as to reflect, and provide information on, contemporary and traditional Inuit life. Ms. Kuptana served the IBC as a Production Coordinator and as President of the Corporation, from 1983 to 1988. Ms. Kuptana has also participated in the design, planning and launching of Television Northern Canada - the first all northern television network serving most of the Canadian Arctic. After leaving broadcasting, Ms. Kuptana worked towards the advancement of Inuit rights in several Inuit political organizations. From 1986 to 1989, she was Canadian Vice- President for the Inuit Circumpolar Conference -- the international organization which represents the collective interests and identity of the Inuit people living in the Arctic and subarctic regions of four circumpolar countries (Russia, Alaska, U.S.A., Canada and Greenland). From April 1991 to June 1996, Ms. Kuptana served as President of the Inuit Tapirisat of Canada, the national political voice of Inuit in Canada. During this period, she was the lead Inuit negotiator in Canadian constitutional negotiations in which Inuit sought (and came close to winning) recognition of the inherent right of self- government of indigenous peoples. Ms. Kuptana has also been part of a team that successfully negotiated an amendment to an international treaty for the purpose of recognizing the constitutionally protected hunting rights of Inuit. Ms. Kuptana is known as a skilled and determined negotiator, who is always prepared to defend the Inuit right to self- determination and the equality rights of indigenous peoples. She has spoken widely on a range of topics affecting Inuit life today such as transboundary pollutants, social issues, constitutional and human rights issues. In 1995, Ms. Kuptana was elected President of the Inuit Circumpolar Conference. Currently her work for ICC focuses on: public education about Inuit life and culture; environmental protection of the Arctic; promotion of Inuit views on sustainable development and resource management; securing recognition of indigenous peoples right to self-determination. Now resident in Ottawa, Ms. Kuptana has one daughter, Ellice, and two sons, James and Peter. Over the years, Ms. Kuptana has received many awards for her service in the protection of Inuit culture and Inuit rights, including the Order of Canada, the Governor General's Confederation Medal, 1992 Northern of the Year Award, the 1992 MacLean's Magazine Honour Roll, a 1994 National Aboriginal Achievement Award and honourary doctorates from Trent University and York University. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Wendy Moss Special Assistant to the President Inuit Circumpolar Conference 170 Laurier Ave. W., Suite 500 Ottawa, Ontario K1P 5V5 tel: (613) 563-4967 fax: (613) 563-0740 -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- To have a current Center For World Indigenous Studies Publication Catalogue sent to you via e-mail, send a request to jburrows@halcyon.com http://www.halcyon.com/FWDP/cwiscat.html Center For World Indigenous Studies P.O. Box 2574 Olympia, WA U.S.A. 98507-2574 FAX: 360-956-1087 OCR Provided by Caere Corporation's OmniPage Professional