The road to the south, the capital of Greenland, moves out to the eyes of an icy storm, which extends into the Labrador Sea. Iceberg drifted beyond sea ice towards the open sea, carving a glacier about 100 km on the head of Nup Kanjralua Fazard.
Local people call this place “The Edge of the World”.
For local inute artist and researcher Vivi Wold, it is a place of spiritual power, somewhere he comes to connect with nature – internal for his greenlandic identity.
“It reminds me that I am Inuk, I am Greenlandic … When I am in doubt and want to join myself and my Greenlandic identity again, I get consolation in nature,” Wolded Vold Told it.
In his work, Wold Inute “Ways to Know” and how they are different from Western concepts.
“I think it’s more proud than before. Proud has always been, but it seems that now it is more acceptable. Whatever I do as a researcher is about the country and nature; Hunting, climate, and the way we think, “he said.
Greenlandic Pride
In Greenlandic society, resurrection can be felt in indigenous pride. The world’s eyes are on this Arctic island, thanks to the large scale US President Donald Trump.
In Greenlandic politics and media, pub and coffee bar, and on social media, the conversation is about the future of the island. Enthusiasm – but so much trepidation.
President Trump repeatedly said that the US needs to take control of Greenland from Denmark for “international security” in its words.
“I believe Greenland, we will get, because it is to do it with real -world freedom … and you know that people do not like the way they are treated by Denmark. The way he is treated by Denmark and he likes us, “Trump told reporters on the Air Force one on Saturday.
Meville, Prime Minister of Denmark, Met Frederricasen, while visiting Berlin, Paris and NATO headquarters in Brussels in a single day’s space, tried to build European solidarity in front of Trump’s challenge on Tuesday. Local media reported that France offered to send troops to Greenland at a show of unity with Copenhagen, but the proposal was gymnastics.
A survey released on Wednesday, commissioned by Danish Burlingscape Newspaper and Sermitsiaq The newspaper in Greenland suggested that 85% of Greenlanders do not want to be a part of the United States, with 6% on the side and 9% unspecified.
However, almost half of the reaction stated that he saw an opportunity with Trump’s interest in Greenland, the other half saw it as a danger.
Pol did not reply whether they want to break ties with Denmark and have become independent. A 2019 survey suggested that more than two-thirds of Greenlanders want freedom at some point in future.
Danish colonization
A statue of Norwegian-Denish Missionary Hans Eggs stands on the capital Nuk. Greenlanders have lived under the degree of Danish regime since landing here in 1721.
In recent years, the statue has been dubbed with frescoes and from Denmark to Greenland’s freedom. Nevertheless, in a 2020 survey, 62% of Greenlanders voted to keep the statue.
The government of Greenland is now largely autonomous and is emphasizing for complete freedom. Under the terms of an agreement with Denmark, the region has the right to hold a referendum on the issue.
“Things are changing in the world. We do not know yet. But we need to discuss in Greenland without the outside world, we need to respond to the final goal, ”said Naja Nathanilson, Greenland’s resources, business, justice, and said Naza Nathanilson, Minister of Sexual Equality.
“We need to be able to discuss among ourselves how freedom will look, what kind of welfare we want, what kind of democracy, what kind of institutions should be protected, what kind of constitution. We want those debates for ourselves, “he told VOA.
Freedom challenges
Can Greenland stand on its own? Only 57,000 people live in 2.1 million square kilometers of the island. Denmark pays an annual grant of about $ 800 million, which reduces the revenue of the Government of Greenland.
Mark Jacobsen, a researcher at Copenhagen’s Royal Danish Defense College, said that Trump could revolve around the cost.
“I am not the real sura if they are aware of what they cost to have a high living standard in Greenland with the welfare system as we know from Nordic states. So, in Alaska or in comparison to Inute for example [the indigenous people] In Puerto Rico, it is a different standard of living in Greenland. And it comes with a cost, “he told VOA.
There are hopes that now the global focus focused on Greenland wants to unlock investment to take advantage of its huge mineral funds, including graphite, uranium and value rare earth metals.
“The problem is that they are living there at the moment that no one is investing in taking them out,” said Ulrik Pram Gad for Greenland’s mineral wealth specialist at Danish Institute for International Studies.
“And it is not the question of Greenlanders whether it doesn’t want or Denmark is not allowing it. This is the only supply chains that are related to many of these resources, in China. And the Western world, you can say, cannot introduce a reliable business model for private companies that are capable of using thesis material in older theory.
Tourism
A new international airport was opened in November, making access to NUUK very easy. International flights currently depart for Denmark, Canada and Iceland – but United Airlines is scheduled to start direct flights from New York later this year.
Stark Beauty of Greenland is attracting more tourists.
“The International Airport has opened in Nuuk; Ilulisat will have one and one where there is luxurious ice-chest glacier. Hence there are opportunities to increase tourism. There is a lot of desire not only for the US, but also for Canada, for Iceland, for Europe, for everyone. If it turns into it, I think many Greenlanders will be happy, ”Pram Gaid told the VOA.
For now, fishing is Greenland’s largest industry ever, which is about 85% of the total exports. It has been developed deeply with the Greenlandic method of life.
Jesper Jacobsen drove a fishing cooperative in the nose. At the depth of the winter of January, customers leave to buy cod and haliboot with duck and deer meat brought by local hunters. Whales, bears and walras are sometimes available.
“We have fish and we have natural resources,” Jacobsen said. “And the American could pay a lot of money to rent the northern part of Greenland. They could use it for their army. They would have their freedom because they would pay a lot to hire the northern part of American Greenland, ”he told the VOA.
“Make Greenland again great”
A ‘Make America Great Again’ or Maga hangs in Jacobsen’s office, given by the entry of Donald Trump Junior, when the US son visited Greenland in early January.
There is a stir in the journey. YouTubers arrived in view of young Trump’s visit, handing over the US dollar and impressing the slogan, ‘Greenland again made Greenland’. Some local criticized social media stunts. Others welcomed meditation.
“I don’t want to be a part of Denmark. I don’t like [the] Danish. They took the children and colonized us, “20 -year -old student Hans Louis Peterson said, proudly showing” Make Greenland Great Again “baseball cap.
Scandals
Peterson mentioned the social use of the 1950s run by the Danish state, where Greenlandic children were taken to Denmark, sometimes with their full understanding of their parents. Many people struggled to re -integrate to return.
Separate, in recent years it was revealed that in the 1960s and 70s, Danish doctors had allegedly implanted the IUD contraceptive devices for alleged population growth, without their permission in Inute women and girls. A group of 67 Greenlanders is currently demanding $ 6.3 million in compensation from Danish state. The investigation of the program is expected to be published later this year.
Scams have further increased the campaign for freedom.
“I think there is a lack of understanding of the impact of these cases in Greenland,” said Greenlandic Minister Naza Nathanilson. “It is not ancient history, it is current history. Right now we have women, men, families who are directly affected by Danish state functions in the past. It is painful and some of them are not to become mothers.
“This is not a case that should be resolved in a court. They should be resolved politically and with the appropriate amounts of respect and understanding and to take responsibility for injury to Greenlandic people. And it is absolutely necessary for us to move forward, ”Nathanilson told VOA.
External forces are pressurizing the government. The island Prime Minister, Mute B. Egade has reiterated the same message when questioning the area of Trump has been questioned.
“We have said very accurately that Greenland, and we do not want to become American in this country. We said in a television debate on 20 January, “We either don’t want to be a Danes.
“We are Greenlanders. We will stand firmly as Greenlanders and cooperate with the West. So we want to cooperate with another country of the world, “Hey said.
