Inuit from across the Arctic are coming together this week in Nunavut’s capital for the 15th Inuit Circumpolar Council General Assembly — the first gathering of this magnitude in nearly a decade.
The gathering in Iqaluit is a celebration of Inuit culture and unity, but also a space to set priorities on the most important issues facing Inuit today.
The ICC represents roughly 180,000 Inuit across Inuit Nunaat — the traditional homelands of Inuit spanning Alaska, Canada, Greenland and Chutkoka, Russia. It is also the international voice that works to promote and protect the rights of Inuit, something that came to the fore over the past couple of years in the face of U.S. President Donald Trump’s talk of annexing Greenland.
The timing of this general assembly couldn’t be more significant, said Sara Olsvig, the outgoing chair of ICC.
“Across the board for Inuit this is a moment in time that is different. It’s turbulent.”
Greenland has led the ICC for four years advocating for Inuit rights, including the preservation of Inuit culture, languages and protecting the Arctic environment — all while navigating increased geopolitical pressures and interest in the Arctic.
“I don’t think that we can compare this term to any other previous terms in ICC,” said Olsvig.
Trump’s repeated calls to annex Greenland, Russia’s ongoing war in Ukraine, increased militarization in Arctic regions where Inuit live, and impacts from climate change all contribute to the pressure facing Inuit.
The tone heading into the general assembly feels more urgent, said Olsvig, in part because of the changing world order.
“This is a significant time where our voice and our continued push and call for the full respect and implementation of our rights will be very, very important.”
Created in 1977 during the Cold War, the ICC has worked to better the lives of Inuit through policy, diplomacy and advocacy and offer a unified voice for Inuit on the world stage.
At the general assembly, delegates set priorities that will guide ICC each term. This week, delegates will discuss a range of topics including hunting practices and food security, protecting Indigenous languages and Inuit identity.
Inuit sovereignty, self-determination and peace in the Arctic are always on the agenda.
Last term, the ICC participated in numerous United Nations forums on Indigenous rights, climate change and marine protection.
ICC hosted its first Inuit Women’s Summit on the rights of women and girls. It also gained permanent consultative status for the International Maritime Organization, which regulates global shipping — the only Indigenous organization in the world with that status, said ICC.
“It’s clear to me how important it is that we show up at the international meetings. We state our principles and priorities and not least state and protect and champion the importance of standing by international law and human rights,” said Olsvig.
As the ICC’s chair, Olsvig also issued a statement, offering an Inuit response to the U.S. interest in Greenland.
“There is no such thing as a better colonizer,” Olsvig said in the statement in January 2025.
It was an important statement for the ICC to make at the time, she said last week, “because of course the interest we’re seeing from the U.S. has clear connotations of formal ways of thinking in terms of colonialism and imperialism.”
Unity at this general assembly couldn’t be more important, said Herb Nakimayak, who was elected president for Inuit Circumpolar Council Canada on Tuesday.
“All of these boundaries from the four states that we reside in, they seem to disappear for that four or five days — even longer,” said Nakimayak.
“I think getting together in person is really key and sends a strong message to the rest of the world that we are here, we stand united.”
Stronger together
The last ICC general assembly was held virtually because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
For the first time in eight years, all member regions, including Inuit from the Chukotka region in eastern Russia, will be represented. About 400 people are expected to attend, including 66 delegates who will set the priorities for the next four years
ICC has made it clear Inuit will not be divided regardless of events happening geopolitically.
“The strength that Inuit feel and the unity among Inuit in the circumpolar regions is actually quite amazing and quite empowering,” said Nakimayak.
Canada a leader in Arctic diplomacy
A highlight of the general assembly is the change in leadership and the signing of the declaration that will guide ICC for the next four years.
On Saturday, the chairship will transition from Greenland to Canada, making it the representative for Inuit on the world stage for the next four years.
“It creates a real opportunity for us to be leaders on the global stage for Indigenous peoples and for Inuit,” said Natan Obed, president of Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami, Canada’s national Inuit organization. The last time Canada held this role was in 2014.
“We have talked about the Arctic as a zone of peace, and we’ve been putting that in our declarations,” said Obed.
“For Inuit, we have wanted to tell the world that while we are citizens of nation states, we also do not have any ambition to be at war with others and we do not want the Arctic, Inuit Nunaat is the term that we use, to be a global battlefield,” he said.
‘Iqaluit is getting ready for the general assembly of the Inuit Circumpolar Council. The meeting will bring together Inuit from across the world. Arty Sarkisian reports
Canada’s term as ICC chair also lines up with another significant leadership role.
“Sweden is taking over the chair of the Arctic Council very soon and Canada is next in line,” said Obed.
The Arctic Council brings together eight Arctic states to work together on Arctic issues.
Over the next four years, Canada will hold both leadership roles
“The confluence of our diplomacy and of our shared work in the Arctic region may create an ideal scenario for us to work together,” said Obed.
