Tagak Curley
"Call us Inuit" insisted unimposing leader in the North
By Annette Bourgeois
Windspeaker Contributor
Tagak Curley's decades
of work to bring Inuit out from under their overlords and to
become their own bosses in their own land, was nationally recognized
on March 12.
Curley accepted a National Aboriginal Achievement Award for his accomplishments in business and commerce.
Long-time friend and associate Meeka Kilabuk recalls the early days with Curley, nearly three decades ago, when he began his fight to have his people recognized through the fledgling national political organization - Inuit Tapirisat of Canada (ITC).
"Tagak was very instrumental in lobbying and convincing the federal government that we should have our own organization for Inuit," Kilabuk explained.
One of Curley's first missions as the founding president of ITC was to have the government recognize the name Inuit, instead of Eskimo. At that time, in 1971, Inuit were represented by the Eskimo Brotherhood of Canada.
"In order for us to get going, that's how we were listed as an organizing group," Kilabuk recalls. "At the founding conference, we decided to promote the word Inuit, which is our own word, rather than Eskimo, which is a Cree word."
Despite opposition, Curley and his two executive members continued to press for recognition of their people.
"People told us no one knows Inuit because it's an unknown name," Kilabuk said. "We said it doesn't matter."
That first year, ITC had a budget of $50,000. Now, Curley heads an Inuit organization responsible for more than $100 million in construction - projects for Nunavut, the territory that will be carved out of the eastern Arctic on April 1, 1999. \
Named president of the Nunavut Construction Corporation (NCC) last April, it's Curley's job to oversee the construction of Nunavut's incremental infrastructure - its residential and office buildings.
The position Curley now finds himself in is familiar to the Keewatin Inuk. He gave up his presidency of Nunasi Corporation, an Inuit land claim development organization he helped organize, to accept the post.
Through the decades, Curley's contribution to Inuit has been great. He was a lead negotiator of the Nunavut land claim, held the position as minister of economic development for the Government of the Northwest Territories and tried his hand at politics as a Liberal Party candidate.
As the business manager for the organization implementing the Nunavut land claim, Nunavut Tunngavik Inc, Curley also negotiated with the federal government a commitment that Inuit birthright development corporations would build and manage Nunavut's buildings.
Not an imposing figure, the rather dishevelled, Chaplanesque-looking Curley uses his influence and position to further Inuit employment opportunities - the only way, he contends, his people will attain independence.
"I believe in having Inuit employed," he often said about the hiring practices of NCC.
Curley said he's committed to ensuring that NCC's workforce will be 85 per cent Inuit by 1999, a goal he almost achieved this year with a labor force of 82 per cent Inuit.
"NCC is doing its part to provide employment," he recently told the town council in Iqaluit, the capital of Nunavut and home to the first Nunavut legislative assembly and office building scheduled for construction this summer.
Kilabuk said recognizing Curley's accomplishments increases the profile of Inuit nationally.
"It is an important award because nominations are done by your peers," Kilbuk said. "Any Inuit getting that is an honor itself. Any award on the national level is good for Inuit."
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