Inupiaq leader Edward Itta passes away

Edward Itta, Inupiaq leader and erstwhile mayor of the North Slope Borough, passed away on Nov. 6 after a long struggle with cancer. Itta, a whaling captain and tireless proponent of the rights of the North Slope Native peoples, became a key figure in negotiations between Shell and the North Slope communities during Shell’s recent exploration program in the Beaufort and Chukchi seas.

While upholding community concerns about the potential impact of offshore oil activities on Native subsistence hunting, Itta also took a pragmatic stance, negotiating with the oil industry to find acceptable solutions to difficult issues.

Some comments that Itta made in a speech to the Resource Development Council’s annual conference in 2008 perhaps best express his approach to oil exploration negotiations.

“While we are often on opposite sides of offshore development issues … I sincerely believe that we all have authentic desires to work together in pursuit of the elusive middle ground that benefits everyone who has an interest in the Arctic Ocean,” Itta said.

In his speech Itta talked about a resource company wanting to come to Alaska to make a big investment in a big project. The company hired a popular local leader to promote its project. The company spared no expense, explaining its project to the people and clearly wanting to be a good corporate citizen. But the people became increasingly concerned about the speed of the proposed project and the disruption that might ensue, eventually determining that they could not support what was proposed.

No, this comment is not referring to Shell on the North Slope, Itta added. It refers to an abortive attempt to conduct coalbed methane development in the Matanuska-Susitna Borough, he said. Itta had made his point: The protection of community rights and needs is not just a prerogative of North Slope villagers.

“Edward Itta’s charismatic and visionary leadership will be sorely missed,” wrote Gov. Bill Walker and Lt Gov. Byron Mallott in a Nov. 7 statement. “He was a great leader not only on the North Slope, but also throughout Alaska and the world. He brought recognition and a voice to the Inupiat people on a global level, and helped lead an international discussion on Arctic development.”

- ALAN BAILEY