AKLAVIK
Richard Papik was known as an artist and a community historian and a piece of his art will be immortalized at the University of Alberta following his death earlier this month. He was 62.

Richard Papik designed this logo to represent the University of Alberta's H pylori research project in Aklavik. - photo courtesy of the University of Alberta

Papik got involved with the university after a drawing he submitted was selected to represent the institution's H. pylori bacterium research project in Aklavik.

Notable about the work was how it recognized the bacterium, which has been linked to stomach cancer and knows no cultural divides.

As once described by Papik, the logo represents "three cultures living in unity; a house, representing (non-aboriginals); the drum, representing the Inuvialuit; and the teepee, representing the Gwich'in and the dreaded H. pylori that will inhabit anyone regardless of race."

Amy Coloqhoun, a PhD student at the university working on the research project, said Papik was proud his submission was used to represent the community and also that it would be seen internationally.

It was displayed during Insight 2, an international exhibit at the University of Alberta, and at a conference in Madrid, Spain.

It will also be put on permanent display on an exhibition wall in the University of Alberta's Faculty of Medicine.

"Everyone here was familiar with the image and were very sad to hear of his passing," said Coloqhoun.

In 2010, Papik was part of News/North's Aboriginal Day special section and at the time he was collecting stories about Aklavik's history, which was reaching its centennial year. Much of that knowledge he said was stored on his computer and more in his head.

Papik's family could not be reached for comment and therefore further details about his death were not available by press time.

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