Darrell Greer
Northern News Services
Rankin Inlet (Jun 13/01) - It was a meeting steeped in tradition, but with an eye on the future.
The Pauktuutit Inuit Women's Association recently held the first Inuit Women's Traditional Workshop on the Amauti and Intellectual Property Rights in Rankin Inlet.
Created for the practical purpose of arctic survival, the amauti's design has come under the threat of appropriation by non-Inuit corporations.
Concerns over the amauti's fate were heightened recently when renowned international fashion designer Donna Karan sent a scout to the Western Arctic to purchase samples of Inuit garments.
With no laws in Canada to protect the amauti, the workshop focused on using the legal system to protect the amauti and give Inuit women more control over the unauthorized reproduction and commercialization of their designs and creations.
Nunavut Tunngavik Inc. president Paul Quassa says NTI had a strong interest in the workshop and he was impressed with both the topics covered and the level of talent present.
"We have many Inuit who are very good at promoting traditional clothing," said Quassa. "I think we can make some headway in the area of intellectual rights, especially with items such as the amauti."
Quassa said the protection of traditional knowledge and intellectual rights is not confined to any particular region, province or territory. He says intellectual rights affect all Inuit, adding that the federal government already recognizes collective ownership and rights in the wording of the Lands Claim Agreement.
"Inuit own all the lands within the Nunavut settlement area and it's a collective ownership, rather than an individual ownership. When you look at items such as the amauti, this is the type of Inuit property we've had and used for thousands of years," he said.
"It's high time we see these areas recognized fully as Inuit culture and, as such, have intellectual property rights recognized as well."
