Circumpolar Inuit Conclude 13th ICC General Assembly – New Chair Elected: Dr. Dalee Sambo Dorough Utqiaġvik Declaration Adopted

July 19, 2018 – Utqiaġvik, Alaska – Inuit delegates from Alaska (USA), Greenland, Canada, and Chukotka (Russia) today concluded a successful 13th Inuit Circumpolar Council (ICC) General Assembly on the theme of “Inuit – TheArctic We Want” in Utqiaġvik, Alaska, unified and strengthened.

Over the course of four days the 64 Inuit delegates heard presentations from Inuit experts on a range of topics. Reports were delivered on three major summits held by ICC over the last four-year term on Economic Development, Wildlife Management, and Language. A detailed report on the outcomes of the

As is ICC tradition the Chair of the international organization was transferred to Alaska for the next four-year term.Dr. Dalee Sambo Dorough was unanimously elected as the new Chair, taking over from Canada’s OkalikEegeesiak.

“Every Inuk is valued. Every Inuk is the Inuit Circumpolar Council. Period,” underlined Dalee Sambo Dorough in her closing address. “Our founding father, Eben Hopson, had the foresight to unite us as a people. He saw the value of advancing a coherent, coordinated approach to our collective action. and our united voice at the international level. I want to underscore the interrelated, interdependent and indivisible nature of human rights. We have determined our political status – we are distinct peoples, with distinct rights that inhabit a distinct region of the world. I am genuinely honored to have been selected to lead the Inuit Circumpolar Council for the next fouryears.”

The delegates also adopted the

Following the conclusion of the General Assembly the ICC Executive Council met with its newly elected members from respective countries, and international Chair. The Executive Council is composed of the following members:

Chair: Dr. Dalee Sambo Dorough
Alaska: President: Jimmy Stotts; Vice-President: Vera Metcalf
Canada: President: Monica Ell-Kanayuk; Vice-President: Lisa Koperqualuk Chukotka: President: Lubov Taian; Vice-President: Elena Kaminskaya Greenland: President Hjalmar Dahl; Vice-President: Nuka Kleeman

The next ICC General Assembly will be held in llulissat, Greenland in 2022. -30-

Commission on the North Water Polynya between Canada and Greenland was also made to the delegation.

Pikialasorsuaq

Utqiaġvik Declaration, both an outcome document from this General Assembly

and a roadmap to the work ICC will engage in during the coming four years. The Utqiaġvik Declaration contains

10 sections and 58 clauses, drafted with the theme of the General Assembly in mind “Inuit – The Arctic We Want”.

Contact:
Kelly Eningowuk ICC (Alaska) (907) 274-9058kelly@alaska.org

Natasha Latreille
ICC (Canada)
(613) 563-2642NLatreille@inuitcircumpolar.com