Duane Smith

Duane Smith

Politics (2013)

“Be humble but be proud. Show respect to others as you would have of them.”

He is the current Vice-Chair of the Board of Directors and President of the Inuit Circumpolar Council (Canada), an organization representing Inuit from Canada, Alaska, Greenland and Russia. Smith also serves as Vice-President of Inuit Tapariit Kanatami (ITK), a position he has held for the past six years. He is a strong voice for Inuit peoples as a member of numerous Arctic organizations including co-chair of Arctic marine research program ArcticNet and was a member of the National Steering Committee recognizing the Canadian International Polar Year. Throughout his political life he has been a strong supporter of Arctic Land Claims, and in doing so has effectively driven initiatives in support of economic improvement in the North. As a committed campaigner for Indigenous rights and the environment, he maintains the importance of carrying on traditional knowledge. Smith continues to be an effective advocate for those involved in the Inuvialuit Settlement Region in positions for the past six years with the Inuvik Community Corporation and the Inuvialuit Regional Corporation as Vice Chair for both.