Inuit United

Inuit United

13th General Assembly of the Inuit Circumpolar Council

UTQIAĠVIK, ALASKA

For the 13 th time since founding 40 years ago, the Inuit Circumpolar Council gathered for a week of addresses, discussions and cultural performances in Utqiaġvik, Alaska, the site of the founding meeting of the organization, which was hosted by the late Eben Hopson.

The ICC is an international body representing Inuit from Canada, Greenland, the United States and Russia. The assembly acts as a state of the union for the Inuit world, where delegates from each country speak about the successes, challenges and priorities they are facing, and the ICC as a group seek solutions to improve life for all Inuit.

Discussions ranged from the heavy problems of suicide and poverty to working with governments on land use, the environment, language and Inuit independence.

Ultimately, the resounding message across the week of meetings was the need for Inuit unity. That was summed up powerfully by Dalee Sambo Dorough’s closing speech on the conference’s final day.

In the following pages are photos, quotes and stories from the four-day meeting this past July.

Every Inuk Matters

Words from Dalee Sambo Dorough, new chair of the Inuit Circumpolar Council

We need every Inuk, period.

We’ve heard everyone say this already. There are 7.6 billion people on Earth. There are approximately 165,000 Inuit on the entire planet, so we need every single one of us, every woman, every man, every young person, every child, every mother, every father, every elder. We need every Inuk.

We need every one of you here today, but even more important, we need all of those Inuit at home. We need every future leader. We need every past leader. We shouldn’t be concerned about calling upon our past leaders. There’s a wealth of knowledge and wisdom there. We also need every future leader.

There’s nothing like being wanted, being welcomed or being valued. We heard that from the youth already. Every Inuk is wanted by ICC, every Inuk is welcomed by ICC and every Inuk is valued by ICC.

More significantly, every Inuk is the Inuit Circumpolar Council.

Each of you in this room can play a part immediately, and at no cost to anyone, by drawing attention to the ICC and our mutual aspirations.

Think about it: when you go home – this isn’t going to take any effort – I know you’re going to talk about your experience here. Educate others. Everyone in this room can contribute through your intellect and share your ideas, your perspectives, your opinions about the substantive discussion that we have had here today.

That in and of itself is an extraordinary contribution.

Inuit Tamarmik Qaunagiyaksauyut

Dalee Sambo Dorough uqaqtuq, Inuit Circumpolar Council sivuliqtingat

Tamaita Inuit ilagiyaksavut, ilumun.

Inuit uqaqtuat tusaayavut. Nunaryuaptingni allagiit katillutik kitulliqa 7.6 billion inugiaktilaangit. 165,000 inugiaktilaangit Inuit/Inuvialuit maani nunaptingni. Ikayuqtigiiktuksauyugut tamapta, arnat, angutit, qitunravut, inirnirillu. Inuit tamaita.

Ikayuqtigiiktuksani uvani ublumi, aimayuallu katillugit. Siviliqtiusuktaullu. Atanivullu ingilraan. Uqaqatisukkaini inirnirit tutqaasungnaituq. Ilisimayut. Sivuniptingnilu sivunniuqtivut.

Nakuugiyauyuni quvianavialuktuq. Nukatpiqanin tusaayuanni. Inuk kina sila ICC-m ilautquga. Tamaita ami tajva ICC-m Inuit ilautqugait.

Ilumun tajva Inuit tun’ngaviuyut uumunga: Inuit Circumpolar Council.

Tamapsi uvani ittuasi quyallitaulangayusi, akilitaksaituq. ICC-m savaaksautait malirutuaruptigu taima.

Isumagisarin: aiguvit – sapirnaituq. Ilisimayunga tajva ilasi uqautiniakatin uvaniijutingnik. Inuuqatisi ilisautilugit. Tamaita uvani katimayuat ikayulayut ilamingnun qanuq sivulliuqtamingnik ubluq.

Tajva taamna alganaittuq.

Aklavik Drummers and Dancers

The fantastic performers from Aklavik represented our slice of the Inuit world on the big stage at the ICC. They wowed delegates and attendees with Inuvialuit song and dance.

Inuit Must Unite

Words from Sara Olsvig, Greenland

I thought quite long about how to say this and I have decided to be blunt. We must stop fighting about who is more Inuk, who is more Kalaaleq.

Being Inuk comes from within. It is not defined by the colour of one’s eyes, or by language alone, or by livelihood. Identity comes from within. Identity cannot be measured or put into boxes, and it is a human right for each and every one of us to self-identify.

There is no such thing as a half-breed.

There’s a link between us striving as peoples to be recognized collectively and to be recognized individually. We have talked quite a lot about rural or urban this week. I would like to say that we as a collective are both rural and urban.

We are both hunters and construction workers. We are teachers, nurses, scholars, PhDs, designers and childcare workers, and we need all of us. The diversity is part of our strength. We must embrace our diversity.

We must embrace that culture and identity is not static. And more importantly, we need all human resources. Inuit human beings (are) our most important resource.

Confronting Our Challenges

We must start talking openly and honestly about our social challenges. The abuse of children is happening – sexual abuse of children is happening – in our own communities.

In Greenland, we have had a strong focus on this in the past years and many, many good initiatives are happening. Still, the latest numbers from Greenland’s national advocacy for children’s rights, which is represented here in our delegation from Greenland, show that one in three girls have experienced sexual assault before they turn 18, and one in 10 boys. Besides that, we must also expect numbers that we still do not have knowledge about.

We must engage in holistic approaches to prevent abuse, including focusing on the violators. It is crucial that each and every one of us adults takes responsibility to act. This is about children’s rights. This is about human rights.

Let us all act every day to protect our children from abuse.

Inuit Iligiiktuksat

Sara Olsvig uqaqtuq, Greenland

Sivituaqtumik isumagaluarama qanuq uqaksamnik uvuuna titungairlunga uqarniaqtuami. Akiqiqtuinrirluta inuuqatiiktugut tamapta. Angitqiyaungitugut inuuqatiptingnin.

Inuvialuugapta inuugapta atayuq. Iyipta takummasiagun, uqausiptigun pitqusiptigunlu qaingituq. Kisian tajva iluptingnin atayuq. Allatigun pilaittuq. Uvaptigun kisian tajva.

Inuvialuuyugut, allamik suittuq.

Inuuniarutikput idjusiqput qaunagiyaksauyuq, ilitariyaksauyuq. Sivituaqtumik uqaqtuanni nunaptigunlu inuuviarviillu qanuq itilaangit ippaksariaq. Isumamni tajva nunamunlu innillaanunlu atayugut.

Anguniaqtiuyugut iguliuqtiuyugullu. Ilisaujiuyugut, munaqsiuyugut, nutaqanunlu munaqsiuyugut, ikayuqtigiiktuksauyugut. Pitqusiqput ijusiqput suangatigiyaqput. Pitqusiqput piqpagiyaksariyaqput.

Pitqusiqput inuuniarutikput piqpagiyaksariyaqput. Allalilaittuq. Ammaptauq inuit tamaita qaunagiyaksavut savaatigun. Inuit tamaita ikayuqtivialuit.

Sivumun Savaaksat, Qaunagiyaksat Saalugit

Isumagiyaksariyavut uqarluta ilumun sivuniqput isumagilugu. Nutaqat munaqqirluktalgait inuuniarviptingni. Nutaqanik suuyaqliiyaraliqtuat.

Greenland-mi sivituyumik taamna uqarivakkaqput. Nutaqanun suuyaqliinikkun. Nakuuyumun aullaqiyuaq tajvuuna. Suli aglaan tajva nutaqnun suuyaqliiniq nutqayuittuq. Greenland sivvuliuqtingit ikayuqtit nutaqanun ilitchuriyuat. Atausiruuq pingasunin arnat suuyaqliiyauvaktuat angutinin 18- nik ukiut tikitinnagit. Atausiqlu qulinin angugaaraalungnun suuyaqliiyuavaktuat. Tusaasuitavullu nalunaqtuq.

Katilluta ikayuqtigiiktuksauyugut tajvuuna suuyaqliinikkun. Nangititchiyuallu qanuq iliurlugit. Tamaita tajva inirnirit ikayuqtuksauyut uqarlutik tajvuuna. Nutaqanunlu inungnunlu qaunagiyaksat.

Ubluq tamaan nutaqavut munarilavut suuyaqliiyuannin.

The Amazing Umiaq Race

A traditional umiaq or “skin boat” race took place to kick off the 13 th general assembly of the ICC. Teams flew across the Utqiaġvik lake and back, battling both their competitors and the mosquitoes.

The Arctic We Want

As the Arctic becomes more accessible to the world with trading routes opening up and all eyes heading North, it is a hugely important time to determine the Arctic we want, said Carolyn Bennett, Minister of Crown-Indigenous Relations.

“No more can we say, ‘What are we as government doing for Inuit?’ It has to be with Inuit if we are going to have a strong, shared future for the Arctic.”

Inuit, the people of the Arctic, must be at the centre of governmental decisions about the land, she reiterated.

“Paternalism has no place in Canada,” said Bennett, referencing failed policies like residential school.

“It is no question that the best possible policy gets developed when you include the people who will get impacted the most.”

As a family doctor in the past, Bennett said 90 per cent of the diagnosis comes from learning the history, which is why it’s so important for government to listen to people in the North and then find a way forward.

Okalik Eegeesiak, who chaired the 2018 general assembly, also emphasized the importance of Inuit making decisions in the North.

“It’s not just about the seal,” she said.

“It’s not just about the majestic polar bear. It’s not just about the all-important ice or lack thereof; (it’s) that it is and should be about Inuit first.”

Natan Obed, president of Inuit Tapiirit Kanatami, congratulated Utqiaġvik on regaining its Inuit name. He called it an important act of self-determination.

Obed also called attention to the fast-growing population of urban Inuit.

“Over a quarter of our population lives outside of our homeland, and this population has grown by 62 per cent in the last 12 years alone,” he said.

“This creates significant challenges for the continuity of our language and culture, but also is something we have to consider when thinking about unity and keeping our culture and our people strong.”

He said that the federal government has stumbled with Inuit relations, including the offshore oil and gas exploration moratorium laid down in 2015.

“We work on in good faith and in good partnership and hope these stumbling challenges we have will be replaced by cooperation and partnership,” he said.

War For Our Way Of Life

Duane Smith, chair of the Inuvialuit Regional Corporation, opened his speech at the ICC quoting the late Eben Hopson Sr. on the fact Inuit are one people despite covering multiple nation-states.

A constant battle is the right to harvest, which has almost always been under attack by various government policies and regulations.

“These policies and positions are often influenced by misinformation disseminated by well-funded animal rights campaigns and those that are very ignorant of our culture,” said Smith.

“Many of us have lived though the devastating effects of the European Union ban on seal skins, when the price of a pelt dropped from $100 to $10 almost overnight. Many communities have still not recovered from the economic impacts of this ill-founded ban. Many lives were so unnecessarily lost.

“Unfortunately this is nothing new. Since the beginning of colonization, Inuit have been misunderstood at best and criminalized at worst for practising our way of life. This has cascaded into a host of problems that threaten Inuit cultural sustainability, identity and food security. It is time for this to stop.”

As a hunter himself, Smith’s campaign is as personal as it is political.

“The solutions can’t only lie in making market foods cheaper and more accessible in our communities,” he said. “They must be Inuit solutions, by Inuit, for Inuit.”

Remain United in Uncertain Future

Being from the older generation, James Stotts is still getting used to calling Barrow its new-old Inuit name of Utqiaġvik.

“I’m proud that we made this decision to reclaim our roots and have joined Nuuk in Greenland and Iqaluit in Canada, and many other Inuit communities, in reclaiming our real names, our original names,” said the vice-chair of ICC Alaska.

“It’s like a stamp of cultural possession. It’s like a stamp of ownership. It’s like being who we really are.”

He was proud to see the name-change campaign led by the young generation.

Many of the issues the ICC discussed four years prior in Inuvik have gone unresolved, he said.

The political direction of the United States seems more uncertain than ever for Stotts, who said it’s never been harder to predict what will happen next.

“It’s hard to know what the truth is anymore,” he said. “It seems everyone is lying or putting their own spin on the facts. Some say the United States is in the midst of a cold civil war, that the future of democracy in America is in jeopardy, that there’s a fight going on for the soul of the country.”

Much of the progress ICC Alaska has made in the last 40 years is in jeopardy, he said.

So what can we do?

“I would say we should not compromise our principles,” said Stotts. “We need to stick to the priorities we have set for ourselves. There’s no reason for us to hide or submit to the current situation. There’s no reason to panic. We need to keep moving forward to make a better life for our people. We need to continue fighting for the survival of our culture and way of life. It’s what our parents taught us to do and what we should teach our children.”

Ultimately, Inuit want what they have always been seeking, said Stotts: respect for the people, respect for the culture and a strong influence over any political decisions affecting the North.

Young Punks

Sarah Olayok Jancke, former co-chair of the Global Indigenous Youth Caucus, brought the audience to their feet with a reminder about the people who spearheaded so many positive Inuit causes, including the ICC itself.

“ICC started from young punks, young rock stars,” she said.

Jancke encouraged youth to use their voice to contribute, but also reminded delegates that sometimes when youth are being quiet, it’s because they are being respectful and not necessarily disengaged.

“We all have gifts,” said Jancke. “Some people are good at dancing, hunting or speaking.”

Some are good at giving a hug or anything else, she added, and every Inuk is important for that reason.

“When Inuit lived out on the land, our communities needed each and every one of those gifts to survive, because it was about life and death,” she said.

Jancke challenges herself to speak for those who are silent. She maligns the losses of life and wonders aloud what else needs to be done to save people.

“I think we have to explore and challenge ourselves to figure out what’s missing,” she said.

How can the rights of Inuit, enshrined in the United Nations, be properly delivered to youth who are lost?

“I want the youth to feel strong and speak up,” she said.

Foster Home Cycle Must Change

It was with a pained voice that Patrick Gruben, delegate from the Inuvialuit Regional Corporation, addressed the ICC during a plenary session.

“We see that our own Inuit people are taken away from their homes at a young age,” he said, talking about the foster system.

“They lose contact with their family, their parents, their culture, their language. They’re placed in foster homes, and then when they hit the age of 18 they’re too old for the system and just sent out. A lot of them end up homeless, maybe (contributing) to suicide. A lot probably have mental health issues.”

He urged the ICC to develop a plan to improve the outcomes of fostered children, saying for many it ends up like a second generation of residential school.

Gruben emphasized the importance of integrating these youth into society when they turn 18, instead of being spat out of the foster home aimlessly.

“We don’t want to see them on the streets or in a coffin,” he said. “In most cases, that’s what happens.”

Equally as important is a focus on mental health in men, he added.

“The men are sometimes labelled,” said Gruben. “They don’t have a place to turn, so they end up incarcerated. They go through that cycle.”

The Utqiaġvik Declaration

With each general meeting of the ICC comes a lengthy declaration agreed to by all participants.

Its goal is to guide the policy pursuits of the ICC for the next four years. The Utqiaġvik declaration listed 54 goals for Inuit, as follows. Some have been shortened from the official document for readability.

International Indigenous Human Rights and International Partnerships

Mandate that ICC immediately develop a strategic plan for improving coherence and coordination of inclusive engagement in international fora and to map out the four-year term to implement and further the directives contained in this declaration, being mindful of the ICC Arctic Policy and ICC Circumpolar Declaration on Sovereignty in the Arctic, and the ICC Circumpolar Declaration on Resource Development Principles in Inuit Nunaat.

Acknowledge that the Arctic Council is an important forum for achieving the aims of “Inuit – The Arctic We Want” and that there is a need to improve capacity to fully engage in the work of the Arctic Council at the Senior Arctic Officials and Working Group levels, including our insistence on equitable engagement in all activities and a meaningful leadership and decision-making role.

Mandate ICC to initiate diplomatic talks for the purpose of laying the groundwork for negotiations to declare the Arctic as a Peaceful Zone.

Direct ICC to follow the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals closely in other countries and ensure that our people are informed about the progress and efforts made on these goals.

Encourage ICC to enhance Inuit participation and capacity within the United Nations General Assembly and relevant United Nations agencies and organizations, and to implement the United Nations 2030 Sustainable Development Goals in Inuit Nunaat.

Direct ICC to support and encourage the full implementation of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples in Chukotka, Alaska, Canada and Greenland and in the UNDRIP in Inuit Nunaat, as advocated by the World Conference on Indigenous Peoples Outcome Document.

Engage in the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues through active participation in bodies and instruments that ICC has participated in, and be prepared to engage in new processes within the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues to further our goals and objectives.

Support the mandate of the Expert Mechanism on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples and to defend the rights of the Inuit at the United Nations Human Rights Council and expand its mandate to engage with states and other Indigenous peoples to assist them in addressing country-specific situations, and be permitted to seek, receive, gather and consider information from all sources, including specific cases and matters of concern for Inuit rights as affirmed in UNDRIP.

Mandate ICC to strengthen its role within other international, multinational and bilateral fora, including the European Union and others, by participating in meetings related to the Arctic.

Direct ICC to prioritize and support our youth to participate in the United Nations Global Youth Indigenous Caucus and other international meetings and conferences relevant to and of importance to Inuit.

Direct ICC to advance the rights of Inuit in the United Nations Intergovernmental Conference that will be negotiating an agreement for Marine Biodiversity of Areas Beyond National Jurisdiction.

Food Security

Urge ICC to continue its work to enhance food security through research and advocacy and further educate locally, regionally, nationally and internationally about Inuit food security priorities in order to ensure that we can supply ourselves with traditional food.

Direct ICC to address components of food security that will aid in enhancing self-governance across Inuit Nunaat, inclusive of exploring ways of enhancing our networking capabilities, facilitating the exchange of information and practices across Inuit Nunaat.

Direct ICC to advocate for the enforcement of the International Marine Organization Polar Code, other international and national regulations, advance emergency response and phase out heavy fuel oil in order to minimize impacts on marine mammals and fish and to prevent disruption of seasonal hunting, and for safety and environmental protection.

Families and Youth

Urge ICC to support UN member states and international activities that recognize the relationship between family and culture, that address the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals within Inuit Nunaat and that share best practices that support and strengthen Inuit families.

Support Inuit youth organizations and encourage Inuit youth to share and participate fully in all ICC activities.

Advocate for infrastructure and Inuit-specific interventions that will address family violence. Consider the unique needs and challenges based on gender in Inuit communities.

Health and Wellness

Direct ICC to host a Circumpolar Inuit Summit on Health and Wellness focusing on efforts and initiatives to reduce and eradicate health disparities harming our families and prioritizing mental wellness, addictions and suicide prevention.

Facilitate and support the ongoing development and implementation of regional and national evidence-based suicide prevention strategies.

Instruct ICC to support knowledge sharing and communication of Inuit innovation and best practices around mental health and wellness, including community-based solutions, and to continue to take leadership in projects and initiatives specifically on suicide prevention and addictions to encourage meaningful connection with communities, children and youth, and link Indigenous knowledge and action with scientific research.

Education and Language

Support an Inuit Education Committee with membership from all Inuit regions to implement the recommendations developed at the ICC 2018 Education Summit in Greenland, including:

Support the development and implementation of Inuit-focused educational initiatives, pedagogies, assessment and evaluation practices, curricula, teaching materials and resources.

Effect systemic change to strengthen Inuit education grounded in our environment, including elders’ knowledge and experience, history, language and culture.

Influence educational institutions and political bodies to support and fully fund development and implementation efforts.

Encourage ICC to share best practices to enhance Inuit language and writing systems.

Facilitate communication of Inuit educational best practices.

Support the University of the Arctic as it delivers higher educational services to Inuit and other institutions that support Inuit students outside the Arctic and paves the way for student and researcher exchanges across the Arctic.

Indigenous Knowledge

Direct ICC to facilitate the development of international Inuit protocols on the equitable and ethical utilization of Indigenous knowledge and engagement of Inuit communities to provide guidance to international fora, such as the Arctic Council.

Instruct ICC to engage appropriate international fora in all aspects of Arctic science and research to contribute to the advancement of Inuit self-determination by promoting and contributing to activities that achieve partnerships and reflects the utilization of both Inuit knowledge and science.

Direct ICC to continue to educate the international community on what Inuit knowledge is and work to make political and intellectual space for Inuit knowledge holders at international fora by protecting the intellectual property rights of Inuit knowledge holders.

Call for an Inuit review of the consultation process of the Arctic Council Arctic Science Cooperation Agreement and all appropriate United Nations agencies to identify actions to ensure these legal instruments adhere to the human rights affirmed in UNDRIP.

Sustainable Wildlife Management

Direct ICC to support the Circumpolar Inuit Wildlife Committee, whose mission is to collaboratively, cooperatively and inclusively preserve and protect Inuit food sovereignty by providing a unified Inuit voice led by a wildlife strategy for 2018-2022.

Urge ICC to support a Circumpolar Inuit Wildlife Network to link activities on various bilateral and international wildlife activities, and support information sharing, learning and communication about Inuit rights, wildlife management and food sovereignty within the Wildlife Network and with the Wildlife Committee.

Direct ICC to participate collectively and strategically to ensure the Convention on Biological Diversity post-2020 action plans support and enhance our monitoring and sustainable use of Arctic biodiversity, and for the Convention on Biological Diversity to support ongoing participation of Inuit throughout its working groups and inter-sessional meetings.

Engage in the process of formally establishing the International Union for Conservation of Nature Indigenous Peoples Organization category that enhances and nurtures current IPO participation and encourages and facilitates new membership.

Collaboratively identify opportunities for our collective engagement in the United Nations Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species Rural Communities to safeguard the distinct rights of Inuit as an Indigenous peoples.

Environment

Enhance ICC’s work with Arctic research efforts and during highlevel ministerial processes to ensure our views and concerns are addressed on how research in the Arctic should be conducted, highlight ethical approaches for research in the Arctic and advance Inuit self-determination in research.

Urge ICC to promote the interconnectedness of drivers of change and the interrelated impacts and implications on our health, economy and environment in high level political discussions and decision making at fora such as the Arctic Council, the European Union and United Nations agencies.

Mandate ICC to participate actively in the operationalization of the United Nations “Local Communities and Indigenous Peoples Platform” to create a space to share best practices, relevant climate change programs and policies and build capacity for Indigenous peoples to engage in the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change process.

Instruct ICC to share research and actions that build climate resilience and to share and showcase the adaptation and innovative mitigation responses, including but not limited to monitoring the movement of animals due to climate change, erosion and community relocation, that are being designed and implemented by our communities across Inuit Nunaat.

Direct ICC to advocate its positions on contaminants through the implementation and effectiveness monitoring regimes of the United Nations Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants, the United Nations Persistent Organic Pollutants Review Committee and the United Nations Minamata Convention on Mercury.

Recognize the importance of short-lived climate forcers such as black carbon and support work through programs such as the European Union Action on Black Carbon.

Support national and global programs that safeguard our marine ecosystems and wildlife from marine litter and microplastics.

Direct ICC to advocate for Inuit-led environmental monitoring and management of Inuit Nunaat (marine and terrestrial) and adopt in principle the report People of the Ice Bridge: The Future of the Pikialasorsuaq, and establish a committee to advance the implementation of the recommendations. These include creation of an Inuit Management Authority, an Inuit-led monitoring regime and increased mobility for Inuit between Canada and Greenland, with the goal of supporting similar authorities across Inuit Nunaat. These initiatives should be undertaken with an objective of improving the self-sufficiency of Inuit over time with the overall objective of aligning economic development and cultural way of life.

Sustainable Development

Direct ICC to advocate for policies that facilitate cross-boundary Inuit trade, employment and travel across our circumpolar homeland.

Urge ICC to promote sustainable economic and business development through the Arctic Council and its working groups, the United Nations agencies and collaborate with other economic development fora and networks focusing on the Arctic, including the Arctic Economic Council.

Instruct ICC to advocate for high-capacity broadband internet, share best practices and engage in international discussions on broadband development in Inuit Nunaat.

Urge the use of the internet to increase availability of Inuit language programming through television, radio and other platforms, as well as the connectivity of residents in Inuit communities.

Direct ICC to support responsible mining policies that reflect the 2011 “ICC Declaration on Resource Development Principles in Inuit Nunaat.”

Urge ICC to compile Arctic tourism best practices and develop an ICC statement on tourism to help guide tourism initiatives.

Utilize Indigenous knowledge to advise all future processes of the Central Arctic Ocean Moratorium on Commercial Fisheries.

Instruct ICC to explore and pursue potential for mapping and other visual aids related to Inuit sea ice and coastal sea use and the multiple dimensions of such use of our Arctic homelands and territory.

Direct ICC to advocate for our rights to fresh water.

Urge ICC to advance within the Arctic Council an agenda to address a crisis of public infrastructure in Inuit Nunaat, including energy, roads, housing, sewer and water, and to promote investment in climate resilient infrastructure.

Acknowledge the Terms of Reference prepared by the Task Force on an International Inuit Business Association and urge ICC to support the formation of an International Association for Inuit Businesses.

Community and Capacity Building

Develop a comprehensive four-year communications strategy and action plan by January 2019 that includes practical measures for achieving greater cooperation and unity among Inuit.

Facilitate a formal program of professional exchange through exchange of Inuit professionals between member countries.

Develop greater awareness and understanding among our people about ICC’s participation in international fora and the connection to our communities.

Support communities who are working to reclaim formal recognition of their original place names.