Disc Number - Project Surname

Project Surname

In 1965, Abe Okpik was appointed to sit on the Northwest Territories Council, its first Inuk. In 1968, Simonie Michael became the council's first elected Inuk and he declared his intention to not be known by his disc number. The Government of the NWT decided to replace the disc numbers with names and Abe Okpik was appointed to Project Surname. From 1968 to 1971, Okpik toured the NWT and northern Quebec (Nunavik) recording the preferences of people. He was to be later given the Order of Canada in part because of his work with the surnames.

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