I made my way downtown to attend the Indigenous Day events at the National Museum and ICC's executive council meeting, and thought I would start off telling you about CPH travel.

There are bikes EVERYWHERE. It seems people only bike, walk or take public transportation. There is the train, bus and metro and luckily enough the Danish government organized it so all people registered for the event have a travel pass on all three types of public transport. You never have to wait very long, 2 minutes at most for your bus (or whatever). And there are bike paths between the road and side walks for all the bike commuters. I was speaking with someone about the cars here, because of course there are some, but not nearly as many as I would have guessed there to be. I guess they are really expensive and heavily taxed, and gas is expensive, and parking is a nightmare and this and that - and with so such great public transit and bicycle lanes who needs a car? I think this is really great. 

 

I see in Nunatsiaq the headline "Inuit leaders at odds over oil and gas emissions". I thought I would share my thoughts:

Inuit Circumpolar Council is the international indigenous organization that represents Inuit. There is ICC Alaska, ICC Canada, ICC Greenland and ICC Russia. Those are 4 separate countries, with different interests, perspectives and ideas. Pick any 4 countries and they would have different views on almost anything. These four countries have independent positions on resource development, but ICC as an organization has a common voice: Inuit have the right to develop resources, land claims protect these rights, Inuit have the right to self determination and resource development must be done in a sustainable and responsible manner. 

When the NLCA was created the agreement in principle was signed April 1, 1993 (feel free to correct me/add more info) and the next 6 years was spent divvying up Crown Land and Inuit Owned Land. Both sides had experts and did research and all that jazz to pick land. (I would really love it if someone would comment on this and share some more information). It took 30 years of negotiations to get the NLCA, for Inuit to protect our right to self-determination. Alaskan, Greenlandic, Russian and Canadian Inuit don't have to have to be going in the same direction. Inuit have the right to decide what direction they choose to go. 

Inuit agree that if there is resource development, it must be done in a sustainable and responsible manner. I'm not sure I need to share much more than this. 

I would encourage people to look at ICCs call to action. highlights:

Ratify a post-2012 (when the Kyoto protocol expires) agreement

Recognize the impacts of climate change on Inuit

Help Inuit adapt to climate change (international climate change adaptation fund)

Recognize the vulnerability of Inuit and other indigenous peoples (adopt an adaptation assistance mechanism - including communities in developed nations!)

Help Inuit participate/benefit from development of green technology

Also continuing thoughts on with my thoughts on Inuit leaders at odds.... Government people, Non-governmental organization people, environmental/cultural/rights activists - different people representing different views, different mandates, different goals, trying to benefit people in different ways. It's like the GN having a different view than NTI, which has a different view than your social studies teacher because they are different; having different ideas of what would benefit you. 

I think it would be of greater benefit to Inuit, Nunavummiut and northers to find the common thread. I think right now in negotiations it isn't even recognized that people dependent on ice and snow are vulnerable to climate change!