Edward Itta

Edward Saggan Itta (July 5, 1945 – November 6, 2016) was an American Iñupiaq politician, activist and whaling captain. Itta served as the mayor of North Slope Borough, Alaska, the northernmost borough in the United States, for two consecutive terms from 2005 until 2011.

Early life and education Edward Saggan Itta was born in Utqiagvik (formerly named Barrow) in July 1945 to Noah and Mollie Itta. He crossed political lines to meet with all sides, but took on organizations he saw as overly supportive of industry like the Arctic Slope Regional Corporation. He served on the Commission until the expiration of his term on July 29, 2015.

Itta served as the President of the Inuit Circumpolar Council of Alaska, President of the Barrow Whaling Captains Association, vice chairman of the Alaska Eskimo Whaling Commission, and a representative for Alaska on the Outer Continental Shelf Policy Committee.

Personal life and death He was married to Elsie Hopson Itta, with whom he had two children. He died after battling cancer. As of 2023 he is survived by his older sister Brenda Itta (born November 13, 1943), an Iñupiaq activist and former legislator in the Alaska House of Representatives