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The Inuit and Food Security Presently,thehighestpriorityforICCAlaskaisfood security.Formostoftheworld,foodsecuritymeans havingenoughmoneytopurchasefoodandother necessitiesatthegrocerystore.Inotherwords,food securityistiedtohavingapermanentjobandincome. ThisisnotthecasefortheInuit,whomeasurefood securityfromacompletelydifferenteconomicand culturalperspective.Well-payingjobsareattimes fewandfarbetweeninruralareasofAlaska,where continuedaccesstotraditionalhuntingandfshing areasiskeytohealthandwell-being. MostInuitarecoastalpeoplewhorelyheavilyon resourcesfromtheoceanfornutritionalandcultural survival. The Inuit are a hunting society and are extremelyconcernedaboutthehealthoftheocean ecosystem,alongwiththebirds,fsh,andanimals thatneedacleanandhealthyhabitattothrive.Despite adaptingtothemodernworld,huntingstilldefnes theInuitpeople,whoareconcernedregardingfood securityinthesetimesofglobalclimatechangeand therapidindustrializationoftheArctic. TheICCbelievesfoodsecurityshouldbethestandard againstwhichalldevelopmentshouldbemeasured. Ifaproposeddevelopmentthreatensfoodsecurity,it shouldnotbeallowedtoproceeduntilallconcerns areadequatelyaddressed.Acleanecosystemwith healthy,abundantforaandfaunaisthebestindicator thatanyparticulartypeofeconomicdevelopmentis sustainableandwise. The Inuit and Development TheICCisnotopposedtosustainabledevelopment, especiallyifculturalsustainabilityisincorporated intotheprocess.It'sevidenttoallthatArcticdevelopmentwilloccur;theplanetiswarming,andthe permanent sea ice and permafrost is melting. We can seeitwithourowneyes.Ourworldandthatofother peopleintheArcticregionisonthevergeofbeing turned upside-down, and we must calculate how tomanagethisdevelopmentasweadapttoclimate changes. Inthesummerof2010,theInuitCircumpolarCouncil helditsgeneralassemblyinNuuk,Greenland.Atthis www.uscg.mil/proceedings gathering,itwasevidentthatthereweredifferences ofopinionamongtheInuitonthreeissues: • offshoreoilandgasdevelopment; • mining,particularlyuraniummining; • theenvironmentalandsocialimpactassessment process. InFebruary2011,theICChostedanArcticleaders' summit,whichresultedintheCircumpolar Inuit Declaration on Resource Development Principles in Inuit Nunaat. Thedeclarationsetsoutbasicprinciplesthatwehope willleadtoresponsible,sustainabledevelopment. Arcticdevelopmentmustbringtangibleandlong-lastingbeneftstotheindigenouspeople,whileavoiding anydegradationofthehealthyecosystems. Thesearefrighteningyetexcitingtimes.Aswelook outtoseatostudytheapproachingprospects,wesee greatopportunitiesandgreatrisksonthehorizon. Wemustgetthingsdonerightthefrsttime,aswe havelearnedfromourancestorsandourownexperience.IntheArctic,onedoesn'tgettoomanysecond chances hatisatruthwewanttosharewithour —t childrenandgrandchildren,astheInuitcontinueto liveandthriveintheNorth. About the author: Mr. Jim Stotts is the president of the Inuit Circumpolar Council Alaska. Stotts has extensive experience in the private sector, working for the Ukpeagvik Inupiat Corporation and the Arctic Slope Regional Corporation. For more than 30 years he has worked in executive positions at both organizations and represented Alaska on the frst ICC Executive Council in 1980. His previous positions include ICC Alaska's executive director and chair. Stotts is a native of Barrow, Alaska. For more information: Read the Circumpolar Inuit Declaration on Resource Development Principles in Inuit Nunaat on the ICC Alaska website at www.iccalaska.org. Summer 2013 Proceedings 41