The circumpolar inuit health summit: A summary

Abstract

Background Inuit (often referred to as ‘Eskimos’) are Arctic peoples living in 4 countries of the circumpolar region: the Alaska (USA), Canada, Greenland and Chukotka (Russia). In June of 1977, Mayor Eben Hopson of the North Slope Borough, Alaska, hosted the first ever Inuit Circumpolar Conference. Since then, the Inuit Circumpolar Council (ICC) has grown into a major international non-governmental organization representing approximately 155,000 Inuit of Alaska (USA), Canada, Greenland and Chukotka (Russia). ICC has offices in each of the four countries and works on issues affecting circumpolar Inuit, such as environment, human rights and health (1).