About ICC 

OUR STORY

Inspired by international Indigenous mobilizations in the early 1970s, Inuit Circumpolar Council (ICC) was founded in 1977, when Iñupiaq leader Eben Hopson Sr. invited Inuit leaders from Alaska, Canada, and Kalaallit Nunaat (Greenland) to come together and develop united, consistent responses to the growing challenges facing Inuit ways of life. ICC delegates approved our Charter at the 1980 General Assembly in Nuuk, Kalaallit Nunaat. The Charter was later ratified by Inuit in Canada, Kalaallit Nunaat, and Alaska, solidifying ICC’s purpose. From the beginning, ICC’s vision included Inuit from Chukotka, and this goal was realized in 1992.

In celebration of Inuit strength, unity, and culture, and recognizing Eben Hopson Sr.’s instrumental role in founding ICC, November 7, his birthday, is observed as International Inuit Day.

Thanks to the dedication of Inuit leaders from across the circumpolar world, ICC is now a major international Indigenous Peoples’ Organization. Led by an elected Executive Council, ICC is dedicated to advocating for Inuit rights and priorities at the international level. Central to ICC’s work is the General Assembly, convened every four years in a different community in Inuit Nunaat. During the Assembly, delegates from across the circumpolar region elect a new Chair, honor and celebrate Inuit culture, formulate policies, and adopt a declaration that shapes ICC’s activities for the next term.