OTTAWA , Tuesday, 20 June 2006
The Inuit Circumpolar Conference (ICC) Canada will be led by the same president who presided over the organization during the last four years. Duane Smith of Inuvik, NWT first took over the organizations top position in Kuujjuaq, Nunavik in July 2002, the last time Inuit gathered together from Russia, Alaska, Greenland, and Canada for the ICC General Assembly.
ICC is the international body that represents the worlds 155,000 Inuit, promoting their unity and their rights. ICC-Canada is the body that advocates on behalf of Canadian Inuit on matters of international importance and is the representative body of ICC in Canada.
Violet Ford, a Labrador Inuk who was elected as Vice President of ICC-Canada in Kuujjuaq, will also be serving another term. Mr. Smith and Ms. Ford have been committed for many years to promoting the rights of Inuit, and advocating on their behalf in numerous international bodies such as the United Nations.
Duane Smith was nominated by the Chair and CEO of the Inuvialuit Regional Corporation, Nellie Cournoyea. In her nomination, Ms. Cournoyea states that Mr. Smith has shown leadership, commitment and dependability in furthering the Inuit cause, both nationally and internationally and that he has proven to be an excellent ambassador for all Inuit.
Both Mr. Smith and Ms. Ford will be formally elected by acclamation at the ICC Canada Annual General Meeting July 8 in Inuvik. Their elections are expected to be warmly welcomed at the ICC General Assembly the following week in Barrow, Alaska. Mr. Smith and Ms. Ford will, respectively, sit as Vice-Chair and Council Member on international body of ICC until 2010.
For more information:
Corinne Gray, Executive Director
Inuit Circumpolar Conference (Canada)
cgray@inuitcircumpolar.com
tel: (613) 563 2642