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U.S. consulate visits Nunavut

U.S. Consul General Allison Areias Vogel attended the Nunavut Trade Show this month, and met with Nunavummiut to discuss shared interests in education, renewable energy and U.S. cold climate technology.

Areias Vogel met with Premier Joe Savikataaq, representatives from government and business officials to promote collaboration and the sharing of expertise on technology, search-and-rescue and youth leadership programs.

The consulate offers grant programs for youth, and opportunities for American speakers to share their knowledge.

A recent grant enabled American speakers to travel to Quebec City to meet with first responders, where they shared insights on responding to mass casualty events, drawing on reviews of the response to recent tragedies, including the Pulse Nightclub shooting, which left 50 dead.

Reviewing critical incidents and police protocols has the potential to save lives and that knowledge can be useful to other jurisdictions, said Areias Vogel.

photo courtesy of U.S. Consul General U.S. Consul General Allison Areias Vogel meets with Premier Joe Savikataaq in Iqaluit during the annual Nunavut Trade Show. Photo courtesy of U.S. Consul General.
photo courtesy of U.S. Consul General
U.S. Consul General Allison Areias Vogel meets with Premier Joe Savikataaq in Iqaluit during the annual Nunavut Trade Show. Photo courtesy of U.S. Consul General.

The consulate grants are available to speakers able to share knowledge, as requested, on topics including entrepreneurship, academia, culture and public policy.

"There are so many lessons learned from Alaska. I hear so many people say we want to have more connections with Alaska," she said.

The state is invested in improving renewable energy, self-governance and financial management. There is also potential to share technological advancements in renewable energy that are being piloted successfully in regions of Alaska that are similarly above the tree line, said Areias Vogel.

That includes biomass heating systems, which are used in Alaska to generate power for a skating rink.

"We're trying to be a bridge between Alaska and Nunavut. We're trying to listen and learn," she said. "We're trying to connect the clean energy technology in the United States and also encourage some of the leaders up here, including Qulliq, to be a part of an Indigenous clean-energy network."

In Iqaluit, Areias Vogel was looking to scout young leaders to participate in the U.S. Mission to Canada Public Affairs grant program.

In the last year, the program awarded grants to bring American delegates to speak at a global conference in Ottawa, on subjects including substance use, foreign policy and circumpolar affairs.

In May, Letia Obed, director of Aboriginal and Circumpolar Affairs for the Government of Nunavut, briefed scholars of the Fulbright Arctic Initiative on the status of Nunavut, its demographics and government priorities.

Obed's briefing marked the beginning of an 18-month research program for scholars from all eight Arctic countries on sustainable economies and resilient communities in the circumpolar region.

"We look for young leaders, or for people who would be in touch with young leaders," said Areias Vogel.

"We have the same issues. We have small communities, that in some cases are fly-in, fly-out, are often above the treeline or right at the treeline without usable trees… and a lot of the same social issues," she said.

"We never want to take our relationship with Canada for granted. So we want to be able to talk about our values, bring people to the U.S. to see what we're doing and counter any misconceptions and help create a network especially among leaders in the North, and we see a benefit to the U.S. and Canada in everything that we're doing."