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Tag: Inuit

ICC sues the United States

The Inuit Circumpolar Conference (ICC) provides a major international collective voice for more than 155.000 Inuit from Alaska, Canada, Greenland and the Chukotka Peninsula. On behalf of people in Alaska the ICC in 2005 filed a legal petition against the government of the United States of America, saying its climate change policies violate human rights.

The ICC claimed the USA failed to control emissions of greenhouse gases, which damaged the livelihood in the Arctic. It demanded that the US limited its emission

The lawsuit was against the USA because it is the largest emitter of greenhouse gasses in the world, and it has refused to sign and ratify the Kyoto protocol. When filing the petition Ms. Sheila Watt-Cloutier, then the elected Chair of the ICC said this:

“We submit this petition not in a spirit of confrontation—that is not the Inuit way—but as a means of inviting and promoting dialogue with the United States of America within the context of the climate change convention. Our purpose is to educate not criticize, and to inform not condemn. I invite the United States of America to respond positively to our petition. As well, I invite governments and non-governmental
organizations worldwide to support our petition and to never forget that,
ultimately, climate change is a matter of human rights.”

As she said, the purpose is to educate, and that is exactly what the lawsuit did. The ICC lost but it gained huge reaction from the public about climate change and what it was doing to the lifestyles of indigenous peoples.

October 3, 2011
Inuit Leaders Meet in Nuuk, Greenland
During the 28. June to July 2. The ICC holds it’s general assembly in Nuuk, Greenland.

Inuit Leaders from Canada, Russia, USA & Greenland come together every four years to discuss the development in the arctic and their common concerns- and the meeting now is especially focused on during the meeting:
- Environment, including Climate Change
- Political and economic development
- Health and Well-being
- Hunting and Food Security
- Governance
- Inuit Arctic Policy
Climate change and many other issues that are effecting the arctic, and thereby the Inuit, need to be discussed and a common policy or guidelines formulated.

Further information can be found on Http://www.inuit.org

Source: Arctic Council news
June 30, 2010
Year of the Inuit 2010
2010 Year of the Inuit is an educational campaign spearheaded by Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami, the national organization representing Canadian Inuit. Its goal is to increase awareness among the general Canadian population about issues facing the Inuit of Canada and celebrate Inuit accomplishments and achievements.

This project includes a number of educational events and projects such as;
Inuit Qaujisarvingat: The Inuit Knowledge Centre:

The Inuit Qaujisarvingat is a centre that is intended to bridge the gap between Inuit knowledge and Western science and build capacity among Inuit to respond to worldwide growing interest in Arctic issues. In early January national Inuit leader Mary Simon, president of Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami, formally announced the creation of the centre in Ottawa. Associated to the event Mary Simon was quoted by CBC News saying “We could actually do the research that is related to the North and the Inuit from the centre so that’s it’s more related to what we feel are the priority areas”. Further involvement of indigenous people as researchers is clearly something to rejoice over and watching the future growth of the Inuit Knowledge Centre will be very interesting.

A Taste of the Arctic: An Evening Celebrating Inuit Culture

“A Taste of the Arctic” was the kickoff event for the 2010 Year of the Inuit. Presented by ITK at the National Gallery of Canada, it was a fundraising dinner for the Arctic Children and Youth Foundation. It featured a presentation by Susan Aglukark and performances by Takralik Partridge and the Ottawa Inuit Children’s Centre. The inaugural ITK Award for Excellence in Arctic Journalism was presented to CBC Television’s Peter Mansbridge.” The event was attended by approximately 250 people including a number of high-level officials.

Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami & Students on Ice scholarship:

The students on Ice program is intended to provide youth from across Canada and the world the opportunity to participate in ship-based educational adventures in the two polar regions. Students on Ice educates and inspires the next generation of polar scientists, researchers, and environmental leaders by introducing them to these magical regions and increasing their understanding and respect for nature. From 2000 Students on Ice have enabled almost 1000 high school and university students from thirty countries have been able to visit the polar regions.

Students on Ice in cooperation with the International Polar Year Federal Programs Office of Canada, Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami, and First Air will offer fully-funded scholarships for Canadian youth to participate in the upcoming Arctic Expedition. Those eligible for the grant are high school students between the age of 14-18. The scholarships will be distributed between Aboriginal youth and other students from across the country.

Selection Criteria:
- Applicant must be a Canadian citizen between 14 and 18 years old at the time of application. Applicant must currently be attending high school at the time of application.
- Applicant must submit a completed application form with 2 letters of reference.
- Applicant must submit a copy of Aboriginal Status if the applicant is an Inuit, First Nations, or Métis beneficiary
- Applicant must submit a completed application form with 2 letters of reference.
- Applicant must understand that this is an educational expedition, not a vacation. He/she must be committed to participate fully in all aspects of the education program.
- Applicant must demonstrate some or all of the following qualities: strong academics and/or passion for learning, interest in the environment; leadership qualities and/or potential to develop these qualities; a desire to make a difference, become a polar ambassador, and an environmentally responsible citizen.
- Applicants must act as ambassadors for his/her community and must be prepared to share their journey with the community and country before, during, and after the expedition. Students will be expected to be available for media interviews and to submit journal entries for the SOI Expedition Website and other blogs.
- Applicant must have current Government-issued identification (with photo, if possible). Ex: Health Card, Driver’s License, Birth Certificate.
Download the Students on Ice Arctic Scholarships application form in English
March 12, 2010
Interesting discoveries in Greenlandic gene map

The connection between the native Americans and North American Inuit to the Inuit living in Greenland has long puzzled the minds of researchers. Also, the migration patterns of people over the northern hemisphere have for a long time interested people.

Now it has been found out by the research team of Professor Eske Willerslev and his PhD student Morten Rasmussen, from Centre of Excellence in GeoGenetics at the Natural History Museum, University of Copenhagen, Denmark, that people preceding the Inuit living in Greenland today crossed into the New World from north-eastern Siberia between 4,400 and 6,400 years ago in a migration wave that was independent of those of Native Americans and Inuit ancestors. The discovery was made by analysing a tuft of hair that belonged to a man from the Saqqaq culture from north-western Greenland 4,000 years ago. This discovery is an achievement both in gene technology as wel as in archaelogy and can be of significant help to scientists as they seek to determine what happened to people from extinct cultures.

For more information, please visit the news section of the University of Copenhagen

February 12, 2010