Kerry McCluskey
Northern News Services

Iqaluit (Jan 28/02) - Fresh from a successful fight with the Alberta government to change his name, Kiviaq is calling on other Inuit to reclaim their identities.

Formerly known as David Ward, the Edmonton lawyer asked the provincial government to legally change his name back to his one-word Inuktitut name, Kiviaq. The Alberta government refused, arguing residents need two names.

"They said it would create confusion if I had just one name," said Kiviaq. And yet, he pointed out, in Edmonton alone there are seven people named David Ward and "the only way to differentiate between them is their social insurance numbers."

Kiviaq argued the rule violates sections 27 and 32 of the Charter of Rights. He learned late last year he'd won his appeal. Since then, he has called on other Inuit to fight the same battle.

"The government is assimilating us until there will be nobody left. Getting our names back is very important to the survival of Inuit. We have to take back our identity as Inuit because that's what we are. We are not white people," he said.

Not a new issue

Changing names is nothing new to Inuit. After the 1960s and '70s project Operation Surname, which assigned Inuit last names, many spelled incorrectly, residents became determined to take back their proper names. Incorrect spellings change meaning and pronunciation and erode the integrity of Inuktitut.

Commissioner Peter Irniq was one of the first people in the territory to legally fix his name. Formerly known as Ernerk, Irniq righted the spelling nearly two years ago. Since then, more than 400 Inuit have followed suit.

"I'm always extremely proud to say I have my name back," said Irniq.

Inuit interested in correcting the spelling of their names now simply have to obtain an application form from the Nunavut Court of Justice, or from their Web site, www.nunavutcourtofjustice.ca.

After filling out the paperwork and providing the court with identification, the judge reviews it and order the name change. The free service is free and takes about two weeks, depending on if the department is backlogged.

It took Irniq nearly eight months to complete the process.

New legislation dropped

Legislation governing the manner in which Inuit change the spelling of their names was introduced in the legislature last May.

Bill 9, the Change of Name Act, was intended to simplify the process, but MLAs were concerned the proposed legislation did not make it easier.

The standing committee on health and education recommended during the most recent sitting of the legislative assembly that the act not be made into law in its current state.

They felt more research was required.