1. Pauktuutit Inuit Women of Canada WIPO – IGC 11www.pauktuutit.ca Community Awareness About IPR in the Canadian Arctic by Ms. Jennifer Dickson, Executive Director Pauktuutit Inuit Women of Canada Ottawa, Ontario, Canada National Archives of Canada C88335 – July 1889

2. Pauktuutit Inuit Women of Canada WIPO – IGC 11www.pauktuutit.ca Six Inuit Regions in Canada  53,400 Inuit live in Canada, primarily in six Arctic regions.  Inuit have concluded four modern land claims agreements.  Many of the 53 Inuit communities are small with limited economic opportunities.  Traditional harvesting activities remain important.  Participation in the wage/cash economy is important in order to access southern goods and services.

3. Pauktuutit Inuit Women of Canada WIPO – IGC 11www.pauktuutit.ca The Need to Protect Inuit Hand-crafted Clothing  Southern consumers are interested in hand-crafted Inuit clothing;  There is a need to promote long-term economic opportunities for women in remote communities;  Inuit women are learning to take advantage of opportunities in the fashion industry and  Inuit women have learned design and production skills for the creation of traditional and contemporary garments.

4. Pauktuutit Inuit Women of Canada WIPO – IGC 11www.pauktuutit.ca The Amauti Project  The success of The Road to Independence project raised fears that amauti designs and creations were going to be used by non-Inuit without permission.  Inuit seamstresses lacked an understanding of modern IPR laws.  It is unclear whether the traditional designs and creations of Inuit culture are protected by modern intellectual property laws.  It was recognized that the amauti would make a good case study.

5. Pauktuutit Inuit Women of Canada WIPO – IGC 11www.pauktuutit.ca What is an Amauti?  The mother remains in close contact with her child yet her hands are free for other activities.  A large loose shoulder enables the mother to bring the child around from her back for nursing. The custom fit of the amauti protects the child from the cold.  The amauti is a traditional style of Inuit woman’s parka.  The style and form of the amauti has changed little over the centuries.  The amauti is designed with a large hood and pouch to carry a child. Photo courtesy of Avataq Institute

6. Pauktuutit Inuit Women of Canada WIPO – IGC 11www.pauktuutit.ca Cultural Importance of the Amauti  Clothing is an important expression of cultural identity.  The style and decorations of an amauti can indicate a region or community.  The amauti embraces Inuit traditional knowledge and cultural expressions;  The amauti reflects practical and functional adaptations to the Arctic;  The amauti is used today and embodies an emotional link between mother and child and  The amauti offers long-term economic opportunities at the local community level.

7. Pauktuutit Inuit Women of Canada WIPO – IGC 11www.pauktuutit.ca Amauti Workshop Objectives National Archives of Canada PA053548  Raise awareness about IP laws;  Increase the capacity of Inuit women to address IPR issues.  Introduce the CBD and WIPO.  Engage elders, community leaders, and garment producers in discussions about protecting Inuit TK.  Evaluate the needs and expectations of Inuit women about protecting their TK.  Empower Inuit women to take charge of the potential benefits arising from using traditional knowledge.

8. Pauktuutit Inuit Women of Canada WIPO – IGC 11www.pauktuutit.ca Plain-Language Documentation  Collective This word describes an organization that protects the rights of all its members. Often people who have common concerns or common interests will form a collective. All members of a collective are equal. How is it Used? A collective may apply for a trademark, a copyright, a collective mark, or a certification mark in the name of all its members. The collective would then act to protect the intellectual property rights of everyone who is a member. Why is it important? A collective may be a method to protect traditional knowledge. For example, people who make the amauti may decide to start a collective. This organization would manage the rights that are connected with legal and economic protection of the amauti. It is easier for a designer to have the collective manage their legal rights.

9. Pauktuutit Inuit Women of Canada WIPO – IGC 11www.pauktuutit.ca Workshop Resource Material Important terms, concepts, laws, and conventions were presented in an easy to understand manner. Topics included:  Canada's IP laws;  The history of the CBD;  WIPO’s 1982 Model Provisions and the 1998 –99 Fact Finding Mission;  The IP laws of other countries; and  The work of NGOs to protect the intellectual property rights of Indigenous peoples.

10. Pauktuutit Inuit Women of Canada WIPO – IGC 11www.pauktuutit.ca Inuit Customary Law  Who owns Inuit traditional knowledge?  What are the customary laws on ownership, use, and the sharing of knowledge?  Who owns the traditional designs, tools, and decorations?  Do Inuit need permission to use their knowledge?  Can traditional knowledge be someone's private property?  Do those who use traditional knowledge owe anything to their community?  Can non-Indigenous peoples use Indigenous peoples' traditional knowledge?

11. Pauktuutit Inuit Women of Canada WIPO – IGC 11www.pauktuutit.ca  Access to the traditional knowledge of the amauti is informal.  No Inuk should be denied the right to learn how to make an amauti.  Customary rules exist for using regional designs and patterns.  There is concern over the loss of traditional sewing methods.  The old ways of making the amauti need to be recorded and protected.  The amauti can be utilitarian or it can be an artistic creation. Traditional & Modern Designs Photo courtesy Avataq Institute

12. Pauktuutit Inuit Women of Canada WIPO – IGC 11www.pauktuutit.ca National Archives of Canada C86030 – 1903-4 The delegates considered:  Whether each individual garment should be protected as art.  Whether all forms of the garment should be protected as industrial design. The Amauti as Art Courtesy Avataq Institute – 1920  Whether a copyright is can protect amauti patterns from alteration and copying.  Whether a new IPR label should be developed to recognize cultural and collective ownership.

13. Pauktuutit Inuit Women of Canada WIPO – IGC 11www.pauktuutit.ca The AMAUTI WORK PLAN  Form an association of manufacturers and register a shared trade- mark or certification mark as an interim form of protection.  Promote the development of a new form of IPR protection – a mark that protects cultural property and/or cultural heritage.  Conduct a fact-finding Mission with Panama.  Develop a catalogue, inventory, or registry of designs and designers.  Place the work of a registry in the context of discussions before the CBD and WIPO.  Network at the national and international level with Indigenous peoples to work together towards a common solution.

14. Pauktuutit Inuit Women of Canada WIPO – IGC 11www.pauktuutit.ca The Next Steps  Represent the Indigenous Women’s of the Americas’ Intellectual Property Rights Commission.  Participate in the Continental Network of Indigenous Women.  Seek on-going financial support. National Archives of Canada PA101840 – 1923 Photo courtesy Avataq Institute  Promote the distribution of the project’s workshop material.  Continue to raise awareness of intellectual property right issues at the community level.

15. Pauktuutit Inuit Women of Canada WIPO – IGC 11www.pauktuutit.ca More Information Rankin Inlet Workshop Report: Inuit Women's Traditional Knowledge Workshop on the Amauti & Intellectual Property Rights http://pauktuutit.ca/pdf/publications/pauktuutit/ Amauti_e.pdf Intellectual Property Rights and the Inuit Amauti: A Case Study http://www.wipo.int/tk/en/igc/ngo/ wssd_amauti.pdf

16. Pauktuutit Inuit Women of Canada WIPO – IGC 11www.pauktuutit.ca Thank You PAUKTUUTIT Inuit Women of Canada 56 Sparks Street Suite 400 Ottawa, Ontario CANADA K1P 5A9 613-238-3977 www.pauktuutit.ca Presented by: Jennifer Dickson Executive Director jdickson@pauktuutit.ca