{"id":613,"date":"2016-05-02T19:11:27","date_gmt":"2016-05-02T19:11:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.inuitcircumpolar.com\/?p=613"},"modified":"2026-02-09T14:57:43","modified_gmt":"2026-02-09T19:57:43","slug":"inuit-led-pikialasorsuaq-commission-completes-hearings-in-grise-fiord-and-pond-inlet","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.inuitcircumpolar.com\/staging\/press-releases\/inuit-led-pikialasorsuaq-commission-completes-hearings-in-grise-fiord-and-pond-inlet\/","title":{"rendered":"Inuit led Pikialasorsuaq Commission Completes Hearings in Grise Fiord and Pond Inlet"},"content":{"rendered":"
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\r\n\r\nMay 2, 2016 \u2013 Pond Inlet \u2013 The Pikialasorsuaq Commission completed the initial community hearings in Grise Fiord and Pond Inlet, Nunavut. The hearings spanned 5 days in the two communities with additional participation from community members from Clyde River, Arctic Bay and Resolute Bay.\r\n\r\nIn addition to Commissioner Kuupik V. Kleist, the commission was accompanied by Bjarne Lyberth, Association of Fishers and Hunters (KNAPK) and Alfred Jakobsen (Oceans North Greenland) on the trip to the Canadian High Arctic to assist the Commission, share knowledge and observe the proceedings.\r\n\r\n\u201cWe are extremely pleased so many people attended the hearings in both communities to share theirknowledge and perspectives with us. Participation was lively and included a broad cross section of voices\u201d said Commissioner Eva Aariak. \u201cWe are humbled by the warmth and generosity we received.\u201d\r\n\r\n\u201cMany community members appreciated the timing of the hearings, as outside interest and use of the Pikialasorsuaq (North Water Polynya) has increased significantly\u201d said Commissioner Kuupik Kleist. \u201cI am especially heartened hearing community members speak of earlier times when Inuit on both sides of Pikialasorsuaq visited each other and of the desire to renew these connections.\u201d\r\n\r\n\u201cCommunity members expressed a clear desire to work together and want to be directly involved in monitoring and management decisions that impact our food sources and our environment.\u201d addsCommissioner Chair Okalik Eegeesiak. \u201cWe are one people with a shared history and heritage and a common vision for the Pikialasorsuaq. \u201d\r\n\r\nThe Commission heads to Greenland in August for the next phase of hearings in communities connected with Pikialasorsuaq.\r\n\r\nFollowing the completion of the Greenland hearings, the Commission will bring its findings and recommendations back to the communities before a final report is released to the public and to decision makers.\r\n\r\n<\/div>\r\n<\/div>\r\n\"page1image933262736\"\"page1image933244240\"\"page1image933244432\"\r\n\r\n<\/div>\r\n
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\r\n\r\nCommissioners:\r\n\r\n<\/div>\r\n<\/div>\r\n
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\r\n\r\nOkalik Eegeesiak\r\n\r\nchair@inuitcircumpolar.com\r\n\r\n613-563-2642\r\n\r\nFor more information:\r\n\r\nCarole Simon\r\nICC Canadacsimon@inuitcircumpolar.com613-563-2642\r\n\r\n<\/div>\r\n
\r\n\r\nKuupik Kleist\r\n\r\nkvk@ggnuuk.gl\r\n\r\n+299 54 78 58\r\n\r\n<\/div>\r\n
\r\n\r\nEva Aariak\r\n\r\neva.aariak@gmail.com\r\n\r\n867-222-8355\r\n\r\nAlfred Jakobsen Oceans Northaerj58@gmail.com\r\n\r\n<\/div>\r\n<\/div>\r\n\"page2image912828176\"\"page2image912828432\"\"page2image912828688\"\"page2image912829008\"\"page2image912830272\"\"page2image912830592\"\r\n
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\r\n\r\nABOUT THE PIKIALASORSUAQ COMMISSION\r\n\r\n<\/div>\r\n<\/div>\r\n
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\r\n\r\nThe Inuit-led Pikialasorsuaq Commission is led by three Commissioners. The Commissioners are: ICC Chair, Okalik Eegeesiak is the International Commissioner; former Nunavut Premier, Eva Aariak has been appointed as the Canadian Commissioner; and, former Greenland Premier, Kuupik Kleist with be the Greenland Commissioner.\r\n\r\nThe North Water is an area vulnerable to climate change. Inuit in the region have expressed a desire to explore locally-driven management options in advance of increased shipping, tourism, fishing, and non- renewable resource exploration\/development. The Commission\u2019s mandate will be to listen to Inuit communitymembers and knowledge holders who use and depend on this region about their vision for the North Water\u2019sfuture use and cooperation.\r\n\r\n<\/div>\r\n<\/div>\r\n
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\r\n\r\nThe North Water polynya is an area of open water surrounded by sea ice. It is the largest one in the Northern Hemisphere and the most biologically productive ecosystem north of the Arctic Circle. It lies in northern Baffin\r\n\r\n<\/div>\r\n<\/div>\r\n
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\r\n\r\nBay between Greenland and Canada\u2019s Ellesmere Island near Smith Sound and Nares Strait and is an important\r\n\r\n<\/div>\r\n<\/div>\r\n
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\r\n\r\nmarine area for Inuit and the species upon which high Arctic communities rely.\r\n\r\n<\/div>\r\n<\/div>\r\n<\/div>\r\n\"page2image912927232\"\r\n
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\r\n\r\nCurrent support for the Commission has been provided by Oceans North Canada, the Oak Foundation and World\r\n\r\n<\/div>\r\n<\/div>\r\n\"page2image912936592\"\r\n
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\r\n\r\nWildlife Fund Canada, while additional funds are being sought.\r\n\r\n<\/div>\r\n<\/div>\r\n<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[26,10],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-613","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-26","category-press-releases"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.inuitcircumpolar.com\/staging\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/613","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.inuitcircumpolar.com\/staging\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.inuitcircumpolar.com\/staging\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.inuitcircumpolar.com\/staging\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.inuitcircumpolar.com\/staging\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=613"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.inuitcircumpolar.com\/staging\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/613\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":987515367,"href":"https:\/\/www.inuitcircumpolar.com\/staging\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/613\/revisions\/987515367"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.inuitcircumpolar.com\/staging\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=613"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.inuitcircumpolar.com\/staging\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=613"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.inuitcircumpolar.com\/staging\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=613"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}