As Greenland draws international attention amidst a takeover push from US President Donald Trump, the independence movement is growing among its predominantly Inuit population. Prime Minister Múte Bourup Egede aims to call for a referendum on independence if reelected on March 11.
“Greenland is for the Greenlandic people,” affirmed Egede. “We do not want to be Danish. We do not want to be American. We want to be Greenlandic.”
While Greenland (known by its people as Kalaallit Nunaat) has been under Denmark’s rule for three centuries, many see the latest US expansionist rhetoric as an opportunity to advance its self-determination. After establishing Home Rule in 1979, Greenland passed its Self-Government Act in 2009, enabling control of mineral and oil rights and two representatives in Danish parliament.
In October, MP Aki-Matilda Høegh-Dam was ordered to leave the parliament’s podium after refusing to translate her Greenlandic speech, which highlighted the estimated 4,500 women fitted with an intrauterine device (IUD) by Danish doctors between 1966 and 1970 without their knowledge or consent as a means to reduce Greenland’s population.
Egede later called this violation a “direct genocide” as more Greenlandic citizens spoke openly about the forced removal of Inuit children from their families and the ongoing systemic discrimination they face today. While conversations about this colonial history have long been repressed, the past year has brought significant changes.
“I definitely feel things are changing,” said Naja Dyrendom Graugaard, a Danish-Kalaaleq (Inuk) expert in past and present colonial relations. “Within the last half-year, there’s been a lot of protests against the forced removal of children. There’s also a movement to reclaim our cultural identity as a people, to bring back traditions that were repressed.”
Now a professor at the University of Copenhagen, Graugaard pursued higher education in Canada before moving to Denmark for her PhD about a decade ago, when she would meet resistance for just mentioning the word decolonization. With colonial narratives swiftly eroding, she sees opportunities to meaningfully discuss the relationship between Denmark and Greenland.
“We have to be part of establishing what questions are important to discuss,” Graugaard asserted. “Sometimes media portrays one person from Greenland as a representative for all. It’s important to represent unity but also a diversity of voices, to show life in Greenland is as complex as anywhere.”
While polls show 84% of Greenlanders support independence, opinions vary widely about what that could mean. About a quarter of its current revenues come from Danish subsidies and the economy is largely dependent on fishery exports. Economic self-sufficiency is linked to resource extraction, sparking extensive debates about balancing environmental preservation.
Greenland’s mineral wealth has spurred US interest since the 19th century. The island’s strategic location led the US to take over Greenland’s defence in World War II and although a purchase offer for $100 million in 1946 was rejected, it was granted permission to establish military bases.
With the threat of Russian submarines and growing Chinese investment, Trump has said that US control of Greenland is an “absolute necessity” for international security. However, his administration has admitted that natural resources are the main attraction, particularly rare-earth minerals vital for electronic devices and the freshwater in its massive ice cap melting at nearly twice the volume as Antarctica.
Not only is there surging demand for water on the world market, but the “rock flour” beneath the ice cap has been found to have near-miraculous nutrient properties for restoring soil fertility. It has increased crop yields 30% to 50% with no processing and has immense potential for carbon storage.
“Climate change has the ability to bring opportunity and catastrophe,” suggested Graugaard. “It’s an important time to create a foundation for Greenland to decide the future of Greenland.”
With the US Congress unveiling a new bill to rename the country “Red, White and Blueland” (seriously) and Danish citizens responding with a satirical petition to buy California, Greenland has taken new actions to protect its political integrity. In early February, it introduced a law prohibiting foreign political donations and restricted land purchases by non-citizens who have lived there less than two years.
As about 90% of the island’s 57,000 residents are Inuit, there have been past discussions about enabling co-management and restriction-free travel across the stretch of Arctic Ocean connecting it to Nunavut. Greenland’s Arctic strategy released last year proposed more human mobility, trade and communication with Canada, especially with Inuit Nunangat spanning the country’s north.
In 2022, Greenland and Nunavut signed a memorandum of understanding to bolster cooperation in culture, education, tourism, marine infrastructure, fisheries and green energy. Egede said, “Our Inuit voice, our traditions and our modern Arctic technical knowledge should be shared among us, ensuring our right to development.”
Last summer, an ocean expedition from the SOI Foundation took 20 predominantly Indigenous youth from Kalaallit Nunaat to Nunavut, providing local insights into climate change and conservation. Korey Lyons from Sistansisk First Nation said “emotions flowed like glaciers” as they witnessed polar bears hunt on shrinking sea ice.
“Traditional tattoos were banned until 2009 but now many youth in our group have traditional tattoos,” shared Mac White about the trip. “This shared understanding of the diversity of Arctic cultures really enriched our little community on the ship.”
Noting the processes of “internal decolonization” impacting many Greenlanders, Graugaard emphasized the importance of connecting across borders to develop bonds of solidarity. She said that Inuit and other Indigenous people worldwide are a source of strength and inspiration for youth in Kalaallit Nunaat.