ICC slated to go to Inuvik for 2014 assembly

The current leadership of the Inuit Circumpolar Council seen at a 2011 event: from left to right: Carl Christian Olsen (Greenland), Aqqaluk Lynge, chair, Duane Smith (Canada) and Jim Stotts (Alaska). (FILE PHOTO)

Inuit from Russia, Alaska, Canada and Greenland will meet in Inuvik July 2014 for the general assembly of the Inuit Circumpolar Council, the organization representing Inuit around the circumpolar region said May 21.

The last assembly took place in 2010 in Nuuk, Greenland when the current ICC chairperson, Aqqaluk Lynge, was acclaimed.

The ICC said 2014 will mark the first time in 12 years that Canadian Inuit will host the pan-Arctic celebration and time of policy-making — the last ICC general assembly in Canada took place in 2002 in Kuujjuaq.

Duane Smith, ICC-Canada president, said that in 2014 “Canadian Inuit have a great opportunity to show not only other Inuit, but the whole world, what great hosts we can be.”

ICC Canada has already started the preparation for this major event, which will be locally hosted by the Inuvialuit Regional Corp.

Nellie Cournoyea, the corporation’s chair and chief executive officer, said she was “very happy” to take on this task.

“We see the Inuit Circumpolar Council as a great body that unites all Inuit and undertakes work internationally that benefits us all at the local and regional levels,” Cournoyea said in the ICC news release.

It will be a lot of work but “we are up to the task and we look forward to many guests coming to help celebrate,” she said.

During the meeting, delegates will develop the Inuvik Declaration, which will map out for ICC’s mandate until 2018.

Inuvik last hosted the ICC general assembly in 1992.

“Much has changed in the Arctic since then, as we now have the whole world looking our way wanting our resources and our transportation routes,” Smith said.

The ICC, founded in 1977 in Barrow, Alaska, rotates its assembly and office of the chair from country to country every four years.