Blog: Inuit Circumpolar Council General Assembly kicks off in Arctic Canada
Just a quick note to remind everyone that the the Inuit Circumpolar Council general assembly is now underway in the Arctic Canadian city of Inuvik.
The general assembly is held every four years with participants from all of ICC’s regional offices: ICC-Greenland, ICC-Canada and ICC-Alaska and ICC-Chukotka (Russia).
Canada’s environment minister and minister for the Arctic Council Leona Leona Aglukkaq gave the keynote address stressing everything from Canada’s Arctic Council priorities to the role Inuit have to play in determining the environmental and development future of their traditional lands.
She also look a swipe at environmental groups and the negative effects their campaigns have had on indigenous Arctic communities. She singled out Greenpeace and its role in advocating for the end to the seal hunt.
Aglukkaq called it “A perfect illustration of why it is so important for Inuit to stand up for their way of life.”
“Other people who are not our friends will try to use Inuit as weapons in their own battles,” she said. “We have to think bigger than that, we have to ask what are the battles that are important to us.”
The meeting runs until July 24th.
For those wanted to keep up with the ICC general assembly, it’s being livestreamed HERE
You can also keep track on Twitter with #iccga2014
Write to Eilís Quinn at eilis.quinn(at)cbc.ca
Related stories from around the North:
Canada: Canada’s Arctic Council leadership gets mixed reviews, Eye on the Arctic
Finland: Ex-President Ahtisaari calls on Finland to join NATO with Sweden, Yle News
Greenland: Greenland urged to work with Arctic Council, CBC News
Iceland: Many questions, but few answers as Arctic conference gets underway in Iceland, Alaska Dispatch
Norway: Permanent Arctic Council Secretariat opens in Tromso, strengthening Norway’s position in Arctic, Blog by Mia Bennett
Sweden: Feature Interview: Sweden wraps up Arctic Council, Radio Sweden
Russia: Blog – Russia puts countries on edge in the Arctic, Cryopolitics
United States: U.S. participation in Arctic Council lacks coordination, follow-through: report, Alaska Dispatch
