Leadership chosen amid rising Arctic tensions
The Inuit Circumpolar Council Canada has a new president. On July 21, in Iqaluit, leadership members of ICC Canada elected Herb Nakimayak, who hails from Paulatuk, to lead the Canadian chapter of the international Inuit organisation through the next term.
Nakimayak, who had been serving as interim president since September 2025, won the vote by a clear margin. Of the 13 leadership members eligible to vote, he received 11 votes while his challenger, Kilikvak Kabloona, received 2. The vote positions Nakimayak to serve until the next scheduled election in 2030.
| Candidate | Votes |
|---|---|
| Herb Nakimayak | 11 |
| Kilikvak Kabloona | 2 |
Mandate shaped by global pressure on the Arctic
Delegates at the meeting described a context that has become more fraught in recent years. Navigating a landscape of competing state interests — from discussions in Washington to military actions in Europe and growing presence of foreign icebreakers — has placed pressure on Inuit organisations to assert rights and stewardship in the North.
Nakimayak told attendees his experience leading ICC Canada through what he called a turbulent period helped secure confidence among members. He framed the role as one of ensuring Inuit continue to speak from their homes and communities to the world.
“The way the geopolitics are in this world, ICC, we’ve been successful in ensuring that we can still implement their mandate, with the geopolitics, and also that we continue to work with the ICC leadership in ensuring that our message is brought out to the rest of the world from the grassroots, which is here at home.”
Priorities: sovereignty, seal products and international advocacy
As president of ICC Canada — the chapter representing Inuit in Canada within the broader circumpolar organisation that includes Greenland, Alaska, Chukotka, Nunavut, Nunavik and Nunatsiavut — Nakimayak set out priorities he intends to pursue.
He said ICC Canada will continue efforts to protect Inuit livelihoods and cultural practices on the international stage. Two named priorities are:
- Defending Inuit economic and cultural rights tied to seal harvesting and seal-skin products in markets affected by policy changes, such as the European Union’s restrictions.
- Challenging private-sector policies that affect Indigenous products, citing recent restrictions by online retailers on fur product sales.
Nakimayak pointed to longstanding scientific and traditional evidence about ringed seal populations that ICC Canada will continue to bring to international forums in support of sustainable harvests and community economies.
What the presidency means for Nunavut and the North
The presidency anchors a Canadian voice within a multinational forum that speaks for Inuit across northern Canada and beyond. For communities in Nunavut, ICC Canada’s advocacy can influence trade rules, hunting and conservation policies, and how international actors engage with the Arctic.
Delegates framed Nakimayak’s election as a choice for continuity after months of transition. His mandate begins at a moment when Arctic policy debates — about security, shipping, resource development and Indigenous rights — are drawing more global attention.
ICC Canada will operate within that international spotlight while aiming to keep decisions rooted in the priorities of Inuit communities at home.
Reporting from Iqaluit.
