Episode Transcription

Voices from the Arctic: Inuit Leadership in Global Change

Guest: Dr. Sara Olsvig

Introduction

Sara Rego: Thank you so much, Sara, for joining us on the We Need to Act podcast. It’s a great honor to share this space with you and to welcome your knowledge. For those listening who may not know you or your work, you are the Chair of the Inuit Circumpolar Council, representing around 180,000 Inuit across Alaska, Canada, Greenland, and Russia. Can you tell us what your work looks like on a day-to-day basis?

Sara Olsvig: The Inuit Circumpolar Council was founded in 1977 and reunites Inuit living across four different nation-states. First and foremost, we work to be the Inuit voice on international matters. This includes representing Inuit at the United Nations, in the Arctic Council, and in other international forums.

Our day-to-day work involves a great deal of coordination and preparation for international processes. We are accredited to the UN, co-founders of the Arctic Council, and we currently hold permanent consultative status with the International Maritime Organization. We are also observers to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change.

Our leadership and staff attend international meetings throughout the year. We are often traveling or preparing for meetings where we work to ensure that decisions affecting us are not taken without us.

Leadership and the Role of the Inuit Circumpolar Council

Sara Rego: That’s incredibly important. How long have you been in this role?

Sara Olsvig: I have served as Chair since 2022, and my term runs until 2026. As I approach the end of my term, I can truly say it has been the honor of a lifetime to serve Inuit as Chair of the Inuit Circumpolar Council.

Inuit Worldview and the Relationship With Nature

Sara Rego: You’ve said that Inuit and Indigenous peoples don’t see themselves as separate from nature. Over the last two centuries, humans have increasingly separated ourselves from nature, and we’re now seeing the consequences through the environmental crisis. How does the Inuit worldview shape your approach to environmental protection?

Sara Olsvig: Inuit have lived and thrived in the Arctic for thousands of years precisely because we see ourselves as part of the ecosystem. What we do to nature directly affects us as people. This is still very clear today, as many Inuit families rely on hunting and fishing, and our economies are built around fisheries and subsistence practices.

At the same time, the Arctic has attracted attention from environmental groups seeking to restrict access to resources, as well as from industrial actors whose activities may harm our livelihoods. For us, it is essential that all international governance and management of the Arctic include Inuit at the table. Decisions taken without us have harmed our rights in the past, and we must ensure that this does not happen again.

We are a people of the Arctic and a marine people. Many Inuit live along the coast, so decisions about shipping routes, marine resources, and environmental management directly affect our lives.

What the World Can Learn From Inuit Knowledge

Sara Rego: What can the rest of the world learn from the Inuit relationship with nature?

Sara Olsvig: One of the most important lessons is that regulating nature always has human consequences. It can also affect the human rights of the people who live there. Humans and nature cannot be separated.

When others look at ice, they may see emptiness or a desert. We see infrastructure, hunting grounds, and pathways that connect our communities. The Arctic is often portrayed as empty, but it is not. Inuit have an intimate, generational relationship with this land and sea.

That knowledge is often missing from international agreements and regulatory frameworks. When Inuit are excluded, decisions become disconnected from reality. Including us strengthens outcomes and leads to better, more just solutions.

Environmental Protection, Resource Extraction, and Geopolitics in the Arctic

Sara Rego: You’ve spoken about two opposing pressures on Inuit ways of life: environmental protection efforts and increased industrial and capitalist interest in Arctic resources. Greenland, in particular, has been at the center of recent geopolitical attention. How do Inuit and Greenlanders perceive this renewed international interest?

Sara Olsvig: The message from the people of Kalaallit Nunaat, Greenland, has been very clear: we assert our right to self-determination and respect for international law. Greenland is currently part of the Kingdom of Denmark, and any attempt to take Greenland by force or coercion would violate the international rules-based order.

There is deep concern about renewed imperialist rhetoric. Media attention has been intense, but the people and the government of Greenland have consistently stated that our future is for us to decide.

Colonization, Self-Determination, and Healing

Sara Rego: Does this renewed interest reopen wounds related to colonization?

Sara Olsvig: Inuit in Greenland and elsewhere have a history of colonization, and there are ongoing processes to address its consequences, particularly between Greenland and Denmark. These processes are deeply important because they relate to dignity, well-being, and healing from intergenerational trauma.

It is crucial not to conflate these internal processes with current geopolitical interests. There is no such thing as a better colonizer. Inuit can recognize imperialistic attitudes, and we reject them. We want respectful dialogue about our future, grounded in international law and human rights.

Climate Change as a Human Rights Issue

Sara Rego: Why is it so important that Inuit and Indigenous peoples are central to climate and biodiversity discussions?

Sara Olsvig: Inuit are on the frontlines of climate change, biodiversity loss, and pollution, yet we are not the ones who caused these crises. This makes climate change a human rights issue.

Pollution from around the world accumulates in the Arctic. At one point, Inuit had some of the highest mercury concentrations in our bodies because of global pollution entering our food systems. That is why we push for strong international agreements and multilateral cooperation.

The Arctic is warming three to four times faster than the global average. Some agreements, such as the Minamata Convention on Mercury, have shown positive results, which proves that international cooperation can work.

Multilateralism, Institutions, and Keeping Hope Alive

Sara Rego: With declining trust in institutions and slow climate action, where should we focus to keep hope alive?

Sara Olsvig: Many states and corporations are beginning to understand that unchecked climate change will have severe economic and social consequences. There are ongoing efforts to link economic development to human rights, including in the context of energy transition minerals.

While it is concerning that some major states are stepping away from multilateral processes, many others remain committed. We need everyone at the table, because climate change and pollution affect all of us.

Resilience, Adaptation, and Climate Finance in the Arctic

Sara Rego: What measures are being taken to reduce vulnerability and increase resilience in Inuit communities?

Sara Olsvig: Climate finance mechanisms often exclude Arctic Indigenous peoples, even though we face severe impacts. Coastal erosion, permafrost thaw, flooding, and ecosystem collapse are already forcing relocations in Alaska and affecting food security across the Arctic.

These impacts make it essential for states to remain committed to the Paris Agreement and global climate goals. While progress is slow, continued engagement gives me cautious hope.

A Final Message on the Future of the Arctic

Sara Rego: Finally, what message would you like to leave with our listeners?

Sara Olsvig: I hope people take time to learn about the people of the Arctic. We are not an ice desert. We are nations and peoples who have lived here for millennia.

We cannot be bought or sold. Our future must be shaped through dialogue, diplomacy, and respect for international law. Peace and security in the Arctic depend on recognizing that the region is home to many peoples whose rights must be upheld.

Sara Rego: Thank you so much for this enlightening conversation. It has been a great honor to have you with us.

Sara Olsvig: Thank you. Qujanaq.

Photo: Annie Spratt