Kiviaq (also known as David Charles Ward;[1] January 23, 1936 – April 24, 2016) was a Canadian Inuk lawyer, politician, and former sportsman.[2] He was raised in Edmonton, Alberta.
Kiviaq (David Charles Ward) | |
|---|---|
| Edmonton City Councillor | |
| In office 1968–1974 | |
| Personal details | |
| Born | January 23, 1936 Chesterfield Inlet, Northwest Territories (now Nunavut), Canada |
| Died | April 24, 2016 (aged 80) Edmonton, Alberta, Canada |
| Alma mater | Northwestern State University Washington State University |
| Occupation | Lawyer |
In 1968, he became involved in politics, being elected to Edmonton City Council. He had won the Vanier Award as one of Canada's "Five Most Outstanding Young Men," for his work as a public relations officer and recreational director for the city. He served two terms on the council as an alderman, and ran for mayor in the 1970s with an unsuccessful outcome.[3] As a personable politician, he successfully lobbied for the Commonwealth Games to be held in Edmonton. He ran his own open-line radio show at CJCA and CJOI-FM, with interview subjects such as Muhammad Ali. After attending law school, Kiviaq was the first Inuk to become a lawyer, and was responsible for several important advances in establishing the legal rights of Inuit. He was called to the bar in 1983,[4] a moment recognized in a letter from then-Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau as a "solid and progressive achievement in the history of your people." In September 2000, Mr. Ward made the initial application to change his name back to Kiviaq, the single-word Inuktituk name that his mother and Caucasian step-father gave him at birth. In 2001, he won that right.[1][5][4] In 2003, Edmonton City Council and mayor Bill Smith declared March 14 "Kiviaq Day".[6]
Athletic career edit
Growing up in Edmonton, Kiviaq took to boxing to defend himself against racially motivated abuse from other children.[4] He won his first Golden Gloves championship at age 13. He later became a prizefighter, winning 108 of 112 fights, capturing a string of provincial and Golden Glove championships.[7] In 1955, aged 19, he became the first Inuk to play on the Edmonton Eskimos football team. However, Kiviaq never played a regular-season game: before the season started, he had an accidental slip on the wet field which was followed by concurrent hits from three opposing players.[3] However, despite his severe injuries, he subsequently made a full recovery.[3] He later won a scholarship to play football at Northwestern State College in Louisiana. He was still eligible to play college ball because he had never earned a salary playing for the Eskimos.
Health edit
Kiviaq had Ménière's disease, and for much of his life was unable to travel on an airplane or be a passenger in a vehicle without becoming ill. However, by 2009, surgeries to treat his cancer also resulted in him no longer being afflicted by travel sickness.[8] He battled cancer for many years until he died on April 24, 2016, in an Edmonton hospice.[7]
Documentary edit
He is the subject of the documentary film Kiviaq vs. Canada, by award-winning producer Zacharias Kunuk.[1]
See also edit
References edit
- ^ a b c "Kiviaq Versus Canada presskit" (PDF). Catbird Productions. 2006. Archived from the original (PDF) on November 10, 2017.
- ^ "Biographies of Mayors and Councillors (W)". Edmonton Public Library. Archived from the original on July 5, 2011.
- ^ a b c Robb, Trevor (May 2, 2016). "Kiviaq, former Edmonton athlete and Canada's first Inuit lawyer, dies at age 80". The Edmonton Journal. Retrieved March 26, 2017.
- ^ a b c Larsen, Wayne (May 15, 2016). "Kiviaq, Canada's first Inuit lawyer, won right to use his name". The Star. Retrieved March 26, 2017.
- ^ Names and Nunavut: Culture and Identity in the Inuit Homeland, by Valerie Alia; published by Berghahn Books, 2008; via Google Books
- ^ "Atanarjuat director celebrates modern-day champion". CTV television network. April 25, 2006. Retrieved March 2, 2007.
- ^ a b The Canadian Press (May 4, 2016). "'I am what I am': Inuit Kiviaq was pioneer in sport, law and politics". CBC News Canada. Retrieved March 26, 2017.
- ^ Greer, Darrell (September 9, 2009). "Famed Inuk returns to Kivalliq for first time in 70 years". Northern News Service Online. Archived from the original on May 5, 2016.
External links edit
- Kiviaq interviewed on Sounds Like Canada (requires RealPlayer)
- Kiviaq vs Canada, at Isuma.tv