Aleviating Poverty and Protecting the Environment

It is vital to raise awareness of the problems of the Inuit people - without wider knowledge, their voice will not be heard. Inuit Tapirisat is a pressure group representing 100,000 Inuit people and giving them a strong mouthpiece so they can have a healthy dialogue with the federal government over pollution and other matters. They are asking people the world over to become aware of what the issues are.

The most recent problem to face the Inuit people is Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) which are affecting the fish stocks on which they rely for food.

Inuit Tapirisat's most recent achievement in working with their sister organization Inuit Circumpolar Conference, and the Federal Government is the Stockholm Agreement. This international treaty sets out control measures respecting the production, import, export, disposal, and use of POPs. Governments are to promote the best available technologies and practices for replacing existing POPs while preventing the development of new POPs.

The Inuit Tapirisat need to let people know they exist so that they can have a stronger voice.

Alaska is also the homeground of the battle to stop the west slope being turned into a new oil field, involving local populations and the Inuit people.