Historic 50th Anniversary Arctic Peoples’ Conference Charts Path for Next Half Century

July 25, 2023 – Ilulissat, Greenland – A remarkable and historic 50th anniversary gathering of Arctic peoples was held in Ilulissat, Greenland July 20-21, 2023. The Arctic Peoples’ Conference – hosted by the Inuit Circumpolar Council (ICC) and the Saami Council – brought together some of the original participants who attended the 1973 conference in Copenhagen, as well as Indigenous leaders of organizations that have evolved and developed since then. Aside from ICC and Saami Council, they include the Arctic Athabaskan Council, Gwich’in Council International, and the Aleut International Association.

The 1973 Arctic Peoples’ Conference was held November 22-25 at Christiansborg, Copenhagen. It brought together 40 delegates representing 21 organizations of Indigenous Peoples from Arctic Canada, Greenland, Finland, Norway, and Sweden. Present in Ilulissat from that 1973 meeting were former Inuit leaders Aqqaluk Lynge, and Carl Christian Olsen, and former Saami leaders Máret Sárá, Egil Utsi and Per Mikael Utsi. Together they set the tone for the contemporary 2023 two-day gathering by recalling significant political developments during an “Armchair Discussion”, animated with vintage black and white photographs. Still vigorous, Aqqaluk Lynge said, “It’s not a job, it’s a calling. You can never retire from working on Indigenous rights!”

The stated purpose of the 50th anniversary Arctic Peoples’ Conference in Ilulissat, was to celebrate the cooperation, successes and achievements of Arctic Indigenous Peoples, while taking stock of the current situation, and discussing visions for the next 50 years.

“The road ahead will be long,” said ICC Chair Sara Olsvig in her keynote address. “We are heading in a direction of greater recognition of Indigenous Peoples, and our representation through our own institutions in the United Nations, which are our own Indigenous governments, parliaments, or traditional councils.”

Áslat Holmberg, President of the Saami Council lamented the fact that Saami from Russia could not attend due to the war in Ukraine. He highlighted the increasing threats to Indigenous lands from the ravages of climate change. “I must be honest, there are some very dark clouds in our horizon,” he said. “We face severe threats from green colonialism, where our lands are colonized in the name of fighting the climate change.”

The 1973 conference produced an inspiring declaration which helped guide significant achievements for Arctic peoples over the last half century, such as obtaining observer status at the United Nations, and the creation of the Arctic Council in the 1990s. It also saw the creation of Greenland Home Rule and Self-Government, the Nunavut Government, and the Saami Parliament. The 1973 declaration was quoted many times during the course of the conference. One example was the second resolution from the declaration which proposed to “form a Circumpolar Body of Indigenous Peoples to pursue and advance our shared and collective interests.”

Last week in Ilulissat, the 42 delegates, inspired from the 1973 declaration, and two days of discussions, including Indigenous youth, issued the “Statement of the Arctic Peoples’ Conference 2023”.

In the preamble the 2023 Statement declares, “The Arctic is our homeland. Our traditional territories cover the entire Arctic region. Over thousands of years, we have nurtured reciprocal, symbiotic, and respectful relationships between our peoples and the Arctic environment, and we have transferred our knowledge through countless generations. Our cultural identities, our languages, our values, our spirituality, and our overall mental and physical wellness are tied to our environment, of which we are an intimate part.”

The four-page Statement contains seven headings, such as: Enhanced Engagement, Partnerships, and Allies; Rights to Wellbeing; Rights to Lands, Waters, and Natural Resources; Connection to Marine Environment; Impacts of Climate Change; Colonialism and Climate Change Response; and Our Future.

With the Statement, the five Indigenous Peoples’ Organizations gathered in Ilulissat, all Permanent Participants to the Arctic Council, expressed their commitment to the work of the Arctic Council, while reiterating the importance of continued people-to-people and cross-border cooperation.

The last heading – Our Future – is about the challenges facing Indigenous youth. It reads in part, “Our youth are a massive force for hope in the Arctic, and now is the time for States, governmental authorities, corporations, research institutions and civil society to weigh heavily the messages, priorities, and perspectives of our youth to empower them to leadership and success.”

ICC and the Saami Council expressed their gratitude to the community, and Mayor of Avannaata Kommunia Palle Jerimiassen, for their meticulous organization and assistance in hosting the meeting and cultural program. ICC and the Saami Council also gratefully acknowledge the support from several sponsors: Ministries of Foreign Affairs of Denmark, Iceland, Finland and Sweden, the Nordic Council of Ministers and the Pawanka Fund.

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