Inuit pride fuels Greenland independence spirit after Trump interest

In a small workshop in Nuuk, the capital of Greenland, goldsmith Nadja Kreutzmann polishes stones and metals mined on this vast island rich in minerals. Her jewellery is decorated with Inuit symbols for life and survival. Indigenous identity in Greenland is resurging ahead of the March 11 general elections called by U.S. president Donald Trump after he said he wanted Greenland to be his.

Trump's interest in Greenland has shaken up the status quo. This, coupled with growing Inuit pride has led to some locals viewing the vote as an historic opportunity to free Greenland of Danish influence.

Greenland is an autonomous territory in the Kingdom of Denmark. It has only 57,000 inhabitants spread over an area three times larger than Texas. A referendum can be held to decide whether Greenland will become independent.

Greenland is dependent on Denmark for more than half of its budget. The main parties all support independence, but differ in how and when this could be achieved. Over the last month, new accusations of historical wrongdoings regarding the exploitation and exploitation of Greenland's mineral wealth have galvanized factions seeking a quicker track.

In the 1950s the Danish authorities began a program of forced relocation of Inuit into larger towns. This resulted in the marginalization of indigenous practices and languages, which accounted for almost 90% of population.

In recent years, the Inuit cultural revival in Greenland has exploded as awareness of colonial repression grows. A new embrace of traditional body and face tattoos is a visible demonstration.

"For many, many years it was an embarrassment for people to be Greenlandic. They would suppress their Greenlandic culture, and try to become more Danish, both in appearance and way of life," said Kreutzmann. Her European surname, Inuit lines tattooed on her arms, reflect her own mixed heritage.

"We were told we had to act more Danish and speak Danish if we wanted something," she said at Nuuk. There, wooden houses painted in primary colors contrast with the snow that covers the town, as well as the white-blue, icebergs floating in the bay.

Speaking Greenlandic and looking Greenlandic are now being celebrated, as is Greenland's rich cultural heritage. Kreutzmann has created earrings that look like the scales of capelin fish, which is a vital but small part of the Arctic eco-system and Inuit diet.

Greenland's own Prime minister and other institutions have been in place since 1979. However, strategic decisions like foreign affairs, monetary policies and defence are still under Danish control. The four-year term of the current parliament ends in April.

Political analysts say it's not clear if voters will support the left-wing coalition again. Election polls are few and far between. Greenland, on the other hand, is concerned about foreign interference. In response to Trump’s remarks, the government banned overseas donations in the campaign.

In order to write this article, I spoke with more than a dozen Greenlanders. All of them said that they were in favour of independence from Denmark and America.

Many wanted Greenland's foreign affairs to be decided by it, but warned against taking rash actions in light of Trump’s remarks. They feared that Greenland would become worse off if it sought independence too soon from Copenhagen. Independence for Greenland would allow for greater U.S. influence on the island, which is seen as crucial for U.S. national security. This comes at a time where the Arctic region, dominated by Russia and China, has become a geopolitical hotspot.

Trump cites China's and Russia's Arctic presence as reasons for his interest Greenland. The United States had previously offered to purchase Greenland from Denmark for $100 million in 1946 after World War Two. Recent polls showed that nearly half of Greenlanders viewed Trump's interest in Greenland as a threat.

Kim Kleist Eriksen is an artist that carves walrus bones and tusks into intricate sculptures based on traditional Greenlandic stories and symbols. He said Trump's proposal had attracted positive attention, but he was still offended by it.

"At first I thought it was just a joke. But he was serious. Eriksen's 40-year-old work is sold both locally and internationally. "I was disgusted."

Eriksen wants to preserve a Greenlandic tradition, when hunters would use walrus tusks or bones to create hunting tools, amulets or toys.

Eriksen said, "I can create art from the stories I heard as a kid and turn them into carvings." It helps me to understand myself and my culture better.

MISSIONARY KING

Qupanuk Olsen is one person who hopes to capitalize on Trump's interests. He's a mining engineer and social media influencer turned candidate for Naleraq. Naleraq is the main pro-independence party in Greenland, and the largest opposition force currently in the Inatsisartut Parliament.

Olsen said that after Trump's remarks, she found her calling in politics.

She said, "Every Greenlander needs to now have an opinion." "We have to decide if we want to remain under Denmark or become independent.

Olsen spoke with Greenlanders by Nuuk’s colonial harbour. The scene included a wooden church painted red and a statue of Hans Egede. Hans Egede was a missionary who had been sent by the Danish King in the 18th Century. He is a symbol of colonialism and the loss of Inuit values for many Greenlanders.

"I believe that the statue will disappear in the near future, and be replaced by either a Greenlander or Inuit myth representing our culture or identity," said Olsen. He gave up Christianity for Inuit religious practices.

Her party is of the opinion that U.S. interests strengthen Greenland's negotiating position with Denmark in regards to secession. The party wants to put a deal reached with Copenhagen up for a vote in the four-year period before the next elections. Three candidates said they wanted an agreement on defence with the United States.

Liv Aurora Jensen was a more cautious candidate. She is a member of the Inuit Ataqatigiit, a party that governs on the left.

"We must choose wisely because we want to remain a part Denmark and work towards our independence. Jensen added that we must also work with our neighbours Canada and the United States.

United Airlines will begin direct flights to Nuuk from New York in June.

Trump mentioned Greenland again on Tuesday. He promised mutual prosperity, and struck a more conciliatory note than his previous comments which refused to rule out a military action in order to acquire the island. "We support your right of choice and if that is what you want, we will welcome you to the United States of America," he told the U.S. Congress during a speech.

HISTORICAL MISCONDUCT The relationship between Greenland, Denmark and Greenland has been strained in the last decade due to revelations about historical misconduct committed by Danish authorities. This includes removal of Inuit girls and women from their families as well as forced contraception.

In a documentary that was released in February, it was alleged the Danish government and companies made money from a large mine of cryolite in Greenland in the period 1853 to 1987 without any benefit for locals. The mine produced the rare mineral cryolite, which is used to produce aluminium.

In response to an email question, the Danish Finance Ministry stated that Denmark would examine the profit claims made in the movie as part of a historical investigation into relations with Greenland. The ministry stated that it did not revise the numbers in the film.

Greenland's Prime Minister Mute Ede said at the premiere of the film that it challenged the idea that Denmark was a "good colonizer" or that Greenland deserved to be grateful for money received from Copenhagen.

He said, "The Danes must look themselves straight in the face."

Local media and social media have been dominated by discussions about Denmark since the screening.

It definitely helps us towards independence, because Greenlanders now are more frustrated. The film has made them realize we're worth more than they thought.

The goldsmith Kreutzmann has used cryolite pieces in her work. They were collected by a friend on the abandoned mining site by the Danes.

"For those of us who live up here, nature has always represented a common resource, a shared asset. Kreutzmann explained that they were able "to go out, take what we need but not too much".

RARE EARTH

Greenland is a country that has a lot of deposits of rare earths, uranium and lithium. This is why global powers are interested in the island. It is largely covered by a huge ice sheet and has very few roads. The ruling party Inuit Ataqatigiit was re-elected in 2021 after promising to stop a mine project linked to China, which is one of the largest rare-earth deposits on the planet. This was due to concerns over uranium contamination of marine life, which is key to fishing - the mainstay of the country's economy and culture.

Kvanefjeld is still opposed by the party that supports mining and tourism in order to reduce Denmark's dependence and fishing. The project could be revived if the government changes at the next election.

A White House official was asked for comment and said that Greenland has "ample" rare earth minerals which will power the U.S.'s next generation economy.

Thomas Emanuel Dans was a U.S. Arctic Commissioner during Trump's initial presidency. He said that Greenland is at the heart of a geopolitical Arctic Game between China, Russia, and the United States because its raw materials are there and it's located in the Arctic.

We're beyond the point of oblique discussions and conversations about what needs to be done. "This is the time to act," Dans said.

"If they wish to achieve independence, this must be achieved within the framework of reality," stated Dans. It's about finding a new agreement. (Reporting from Jacob GronholtPedersen, Nuuk; Additional Reporting by Trevor Hunnicutt in Washington; Editing and rewriting by Frank Jack Daniel).

(source: Reuters)