Snowchange joins in mourning of the loss of Charles Edwardsen, Jr., also known across Alaska and the Arctic as ”Etok”. Etok was a prominent, radical leader of the North Slope Inupiaq and a central figure in the various stages of land rights struggles of the Alaska Indigenous peoples.
Etok worked with Snowchange since 2002. In the period from 2004 to 2005 he worked with us to organise the international conference ”Snowchange 2005” in Anchorage, Alaska, USA.
We are forever indebted to him for a strategic view of how the northern peoples can address the challenges of our complex times.
Charles Edwardsen, Jr. passed away last Thursday 7th May, 2015 in his whaling camp. We are thankful to Victoria Hykes-Steere for passing the news.