Founded in 1977 by the late Eben Hopson of Barrow, Alaska, the Inuit Circumpolar Council (ICC) has flourished and grown into a major international non-government organization representing approximately 155,000 Inuit of Alaska, Canada, Greenland, and Chukotka (Russia). The organization holds Consultative Status II at the United Nations Economic and Social Council and is a Permanent Participant at the Arctic Council.

The principal goals of ICC are, therefore, to:

• Strengthen unity among Inuit of the circumpolar region;
• Promote Inuit rights and interests on an international level;
• Develop and encourage long-term policies that safeguard the Arctic environment;
• Seek full and active partnership in the political, economic, and social development of circumpolar regions.