ICC Alaska Participates in 2026 Arctic Circle Assembly

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Thank you ICC Alaska for representing and including ICAS in this important international work to give us a voice! #NothingAboutUsWithoutUs As part of the Inuit Circumpolar Council delegation, ICC Alaska participated in the 2026 Arctic Circle Assembly in Reykjavík, Iceland, alongside Inuit leaders, policymakers, researchers, and others in discussions on issues important to Inuit and the circumpolar Arctic. Throughout the Assembly, ICC representatives advanced Inuit priorities, emphasizing the need to recognize and respect Inuit rights, self-determination and sovereignty, and to ensure meaningful engagement of Inuit in all decisions about the Arctic that affect our people, culture, and way of life. ICC Alaska spoke on following panels: Alaskan Inuit Arctic Strategy: The Arctic We Want Panelists: Bridget Anderson (Arctic Slope Regional Corporation/ICC Alaska), Bobby Evans (Bering Straits Native Corporation/ICC Alaska), and Vernae Angnaboogok (ICC Alaska). Moderator: Cindy Allred (ICC Alaska). The panel presented the Alaskan Inuit Arctic Strategy: A Statement to the World for the Arctic We Want, developed by Inuit leadership and grounded in Inuit sovereignty and self-determination. We shared our unified vision for the Arctic across five strategic priorities, rooted in our cultural values, lived experiences, and Indigenous Knowledge. The session emphasized the importance of Inuit leadership in shaping Arctic policy and governance and the need for action, partnership, and accountability to ensure the future of the Arctic is led by Inuit. From Conflict to Co-management: Advancing Alaskan Inuit Food Sovereignty Panelists: Doreen Leavitt (Iñupiat Community of the Arctic Slope / ICC Alaska) and Nagruk Harcharek (VOICE of the Arctic Iñupiat). Moderator: Vernae Angnaboogok (ICC Alaska). This session highlighted how Alaskan Inuit have overcome attacks on our food sovereignty, continue to address longstanding institutional and regulatory barriers, and emphasized the need to transform management frameworks that strengthen Inuit-led management and food security. We highlighted ongoing efforts to strengthen Inuit decision-making power and authority in fish and wildlife management through the co-production of Indigenous Knowledge and science, while emphasizing the need for regulatory frameworks to align with our traditional management practices in order to achieve flexible, adaptive, and holistic management. The Past, Present, & Future of the Central Arctic Ocean Panelists: Aviaja Tindbæk Jørgensen and Vernae Angnaboogok (ICC), Nadia Bouffard (Chair of the Central Arctic Ocean Fisheries Agreement), and David Balton (former Chair of the CAOFA negotiations). Moderator: Alex Shahbazi (Ocean Conservancy). This session reflected on the Central Arctic Ocean Fisheries Agreement, from the negotiations that led to its adoption through its five-year anniversary, including progress in its implementation and what lies ahead. Panelists emphasized the Agreement’s unique role in fostering international cooperation amid growing geopolitical tensions, as well as its explicit recognition of Arctic Indigenous Peoples and Indigenous Knowledge. The session also highlighted how the Agreement sets a new standard for international cooperation and future agreements. Beyond these sessions, ICC participated in a Central Arctic Ocean roundtable and reception, an Arctic Leadership roundtable, along with a range of discussions and engagements throughout the Assembly.