New Chair Outlines IPS Priorities
by Clive Tesar
Patricia Cochran, International Chair of the Inuit Circumpolar Council is now also the Chair of the Indigeno
us Peoples’ Secretariat. She was elected to the post at a Board Meeting of IPS held during Arctic Council meetings in Tromso, Norway.
Ms Cochran says that there are many priority issues facing Arctic peoples as she takes office.
“It’s pretty obvious that climate change is a very big issue, contaminants still remain a big issue, looking at oceans management, biodiversity, there’s so many issues on our plate right now. We have to look at our priorities and at what we can do, and do well.”
Ms. Cochran says a personal priority as the new Chair is to improve communications between the Arctic Indigenous Peoples’ Organizations, and also to improve outreach, so that more information on the cooperative work of the Indigenous Peoples and the Arctic Council reaches people in indigenous communities.
She believes her background will help her to assist in tackling the priorities of the Indigenous Peoples. Ms. Cochran is Inupiat, born and raised in Nome, Alaska. She has worked on community issues for much of her life, and for the past twelve years has been director of the Alaska native science commission.
“At the science commission we’ve done all kinds of work from climate change to human health and everything in between.”
She says,
“So I think I have a lot of background and experience in a lot of relevant issues.”
Ms. Cochran takes over from a fellow Alaskan, Chief Gary Harrison, who has ably filled the job for the past two-year term.