It was my first time traveling outside of Canada alone to Ilulissat, Kalallit. It was pretty scary, but I kept calm and asked for directions, which immensely helped when I needed support. I got stuck in Reykjavik, Iceland, for one night the same week the volcano exploded! (If I had known about the explosion, I would have chickened out!)

All in all, the purpose of this gathering was to reflect on ICC’s progress. Bringing together Inuit Circumpolar Council delegates and youth delegates from Alaska, Canada, and Greenland.

My experience working with the youth around the Inuit circumpolar region was a great learning process. There’s much to learn and bring back to your community from different regions with different perspectives. It only gets better. We are all fighting for the same rights as indigenous people, so working together toward a brighter future for future generations is very important.

Sitting at the table with Makivvik, who we work closely with, was truly inspiring alongside many leaders! From my perspective, all the Inuit organizations must work together as we work towards the same values and missions, especially having a youth representative from Qarjuit. Inuit are known to regroup together and work towards solving solutions when problems arise. So, working with ICC, which is known to represent the circumpolar Inuit, is a traditional way of regrouping at the national and international levels.

Ilulissat is deeply engraved in my heart. The community inspired me to speak my language with pride, and I’ve taken that seriously since my arrival home. 

Janice Parsons – QYC President