Kenn Harper

Kenn Harper (born 1945) is a Canadian historian, writer, linguist, and businessman specializing in Inuit language, culture, and history. He is best known for his extensive research and publications on the history of the Arctic, particularly the interactions between Inuit and Europeans.

Harper's work includes biographies of significant figures in Arctic history, translations of Inuktitut texts, and studies of Inuit kinship, social structures, and traditional knowledge. He is a fluent speaker of Inuktitut and has spent decades living and working in the Canadian Arctic.

His notable publications include:

• Give Me My Father's Body: The Life of Minik, the New York Eskimo (2000), which tells the story of Minik Wallace, an Inuit boy brought to New York City with his father and others in the late 19th century.
• In Those Days: Inuit Lives (2018), a collection of stories based on interviews with elders, documenting Inuit life before the widespread influence of southern culture.

Harper's contributions have significantly advanced the understanding and preservation of Inuit history and culture. He has also been involved in translation projects and cultural preservation initiatives.