Aqqaluk Lynge hovers over a map showing the ice around the island of Greenland and scoffs at US President Donald Trump’s claims that America should “own” the land.
“So, if you’re dreaming of a golf course, you’re welcome,” he quipped, “you can do it in the middle of the ice cap. It’s three kilometers thick. We can help you and bring you there by dog sled, and I’m sure you’ll survive.”
One of the founders of the independent pro-Greenlandic group Inuit Ataqatigiit, Lynge is also the former president of the Inuit Circumpolar Council.
He is well aware that the US threats have put the dispute over Greenland’s sovereignty on the world stage.
“We are in the midst of a generational change,” said Lynge, an influential leader on the island, during a recent interview at his home on the outskirts of the capital.
He says: “What you see today is something that was built for us, our generation.” And now the youth has Greenland itself.
Lynge was once a fierce advocate of secession from Denmark but now believes the governance structure developed over the years offers the best of both worlds.
In 2008, Kalaallisut, the island’s Inuit language, was made the official language of the island. Greenland has its own parliament and prime minister and controls its own education, environmental and fisheries sectors, as well as mineral and oil revenues.
“We got the best deal possible between the colonists and our governor,” Lynge said.
“Within that, there are many opportunities for us to expand our political and economic future. We have the right to speak our language. Also, we have the right to all living and non-living resources,” he explained.
Former Greenland politician and former president of the Inuit Circumpolar Council at his home in Nuuk, Greenland.
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Trump may have scaled back his threats to take the island “by force,” but his threats have dominated the debate over Greenland’s independence.
About 90 percent of Greenland’s population is Inuit.
Just how many want an independent country under Denmark seems to be changing since Trump’s threats began last year.
A new poll conducted last month by The Copenhagen Post found that 62 percent of Greenlanders do not want to leave, compared to a survey last year that found that 56 percent of Greenlanders asked supported independence.
A 2009 law allows the island to declare independence from Denmark through a referendum. Such a referendum has never been held.
“It’s been more than 40 years and we’re not even close to independence,” said Nuuk resident Arnanguak Stork, sitting in the house she shares with her husband and eldest daughter. His grandchildren’s artwork and old family photos cover the walls.
Stork is concerned that Greenland and Denmark’s united response to Trump’s impeachment threats is overshadowing the Inuit push for sovereignty.
“See [politicians] just talk to the rest of the world like in Greenland, you say, ‘Yes, we agree on everything that happens outside,'” he said.
He adds: “We don’t agree, and Danish TV is always talking about Donald Trump. We are tired of hearing about him. And we are tired of listening to the Danish people..“
With a population of only 57,000 people, the area depends on the Kingdom of Denmark for financial support, especially to fund social programs. In Greenland, the risk of poverty is higher than in Denmark.
Single mother Dorothe Qvist says living in Nuuk is expensive and that affordable housing is hard to come by.
Heidi Petracek/News of the World
Single mother Dorthe Qvist says that living in Nuuk is expensive and that affordable housing is hard to find.
But he still firmly believes that his people will benefit from independent government.
“My dream is for Greenland to become independent because I am proud of my place and my Greenlandic people. I know we can do that,” he said. “It’s good to work with Denmark now, but in the future … I want to be independent.”
The relationship between the Greenlandic Inuit and Denmark has been and always will be complicated.
Denmark’s colonial legacy of forced migration and sterilization, cultural homogeneity, and family separation have caused long-lasting trauma.
A 2023 report from the UN Special Rapporteur on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples urged the Danish and Greenlandic governments to address the damage of colonialism and racism.
It also called for more inclusive consultation with Inuit when developing laws and policies.
Arnanguak Stork still hopes that Greenland will one day be free from Denmark. He says: “I want to hear it while I’m still alive.”
Heidi Petracek/News of the World
The stork believes that the life of his people will not improve until they gain full independence.
He says that his oldest daughter, who he lives with, cannot buy a place to live, and he says that Inuit, especially in Nuuk, face discrimination when trying to find work.
Asked if he believes he will see independence in his time, Nogolantethe’s eyes filled with tears.
“I want to hear you while I’m still alive,” he said pausing to stop crying.
“We want to feel independent here,” he adds, placing his hand over his heart.
Greenland’s political parties all support independence, but each differs on how quickly that should happen.
Inuit like Storks, who have been waiting for years, are now worried it won’t happen at all.
