Greenlanders have a history . . .

Inuit traditions go back hundreds of years. Greenland was settled in waves. The early Paleo-Eskimo peoples migrated from Canada but did not survive much beyond the end of the 12th century.

The Red Church built by Danish missionaries.

The Norse, arriving from Iceland near the end of the 10th century, departed in the last of the 15th century. The current Thule Culture Inuit arrived in the 12th century from Alaska via Canada.

My travel agent in Nuuk.

These Inuits survived hundreds of years of subsistence hunting and fishing before Danish missionaries arrived in the 18th century and Denmark reasserted sovereignty over the island.

Our water taxi driver.

Probably few Inuit noticed the Danes. The Inuit continued their nomadic life except for occasional visits to missions and trading posts established along the west coast of Greenland. Throughout the colonial period, trade in fish and animal pelts was the primary interaction as the Inuit pursured their traditional ways.

“Who are you? Why are you here? Oh, OK …”

The Inuit spirit persevered . . .

In the 1950’s Danish colonialism was replaced by a deliberate, explicit process of integration and assimilation. The 1953 Danish constitution incorporated Greenland into Denmark as a county, made the Inuit Danish citizens, and made Danish the official language of Greenland.

Construction conference.

The Inuits gradually made the transition. Many left the nomadic, hunting-fishing life and began life in small villages and became wage earners. Many turned away from the Inuit traditional culture.

Lot of work to be done.

Houses, apartments, small fish and pelt factories, and town centers became the norm. But many resisted Danish assimilation.

Making progress.

These Inuits kept alive the desire to revive the Greenlandic cultural identity. The drive for independence persisted.

A family waits for the bus.

The Inuits had patience. They moved step-by-step. In 1973 linguistic specialists unified the Inuit language, building a written version that was compatible with the spoken version.

More work to be done.

This Greenlandic language was introduced in all schools spearheading a cultural revival. Denmark’s entry into the European Common Market in 1972 mandated a new relationship with Greenland and this resulted in the establishment by the Danes of the Greenland Home Rule Act of 1979.

Modern technology, modern jobs.

In this Act Greenland achieved limited self-government. They used their new powers to continue building. And to continue their push toward re-establishing the Greenlandic culture.

Homeowner does maintenance.

Greenland’s history is progress toward freedom . . .

In 1985 Greenland voted to leave the European Economic Community (EEC) so they could follow their own fishing and hunting traditions without European constraints.

Vaping while on a break.

In 2008 Greenlanders overwhelmingly voted to move toward greater independence. In 2009 the Danes granted much greater home rule powers.

Cars tend to be small and fuel efficient.

Greenlandic became the official language of the country. A plan was put in place for full independence – without a definite timetable.

No idea!

Denmark still pays a significant portion of the bills. But the subsidy will diminish as Greenland builds its own resources.

Heading back to work after lunch.

The Danish Krona is still the official currency, the Danes still govern the foreign policy. But with the Act of 2009, the drive for Greenlandic independence passed another milestone.

Greenland is now focused on ….

Greenland still maintains the long view. Power plants, housing, factories, and shops. Greenlanders are building their nation. But they maintain their focus on building the Greenlandic culture.

The National Library’s card catalog

The Greenland National Library now devotes it’s prime shelf space to books written in the Greenlandic language. The library’s electronic catalog supports the needs of their drive toward independence.

Library automation system in use.

The Library supports the schools’ mission of education based in Greenlandic and the children’s section is filled with books in the new language. A modern circulation system sends materials out into homes and schools.

Skilled, multilingual librarians.

Librarians are fluent in Greenlandic, Danish, and English so an American gets the royal tour. Now people flock to the library and head for the computers, just like in towns around the world.

People wait on the steps for the library to open . . .

Then head to the computers to use the Internet.

Greenland is preparing a new generation . . .

Their youth are another focus! A Greenland Air pilot and his wife navigate the streets of Nuuk – their baby is kept warm in her carriage.

The baby is kept warm in her carriage.

A little older youngster joins his mother for lunch in the restaurant in the Greenlandic Cultural Center.

Do not let the water spill on the phone.

While young school kids are kept safe as they walk through town, older children have considerable freedom to roam and play after school is let out for the day.

Preschoolers are led through the streets of Nuuk in safety vests.

Perhaps like the United States in the 1950’s, few parents are present as the kids move around town.

Middle school students on the way home.

It’s cold – by early November ice began to form on the pond. There were no adults around the pond as kids headed home. The kids skipped rocks over the thin ice surface. The next day, they stepped onto the ice at the edge of the pond. Large rocks were dropped onto the ice to test the strength of the ice.

After testing the ice for a few days, the pond is a new playground.

The next day the ice was frozen over and safe for kids’ games. Groups run across the surface of the pond. Other kids remain in town and enjoy friends and scooters on their way home after school.

Enjoying their freedom after school is out.

Greenlanders still must deal with hardships . . .

There are street vendors in downtown Nuuk. Concentrated on the square in front of the major grocery store, they sell home-made goods as well as things we might see in a suburban yard sale.

A street vendor outside a store in the shopping district.

There are lonely people.

Drinking by himself in back of a bar.

Elderly wait alone. But construction continues, school is taught in Greenlandic, and the Library keeps it’s steady course.

Elderly and alone.

Greenlanders have good times . . .

The brewery on a busy evening. Great beer made on the premises. A bit of bar food. And reliable, strong, free WiFi – never saw anybody else using it, but I was there every evening!

The Godthaab Bryghus / brewery.

People talked, drank, played pool. Typical pub life.

Friendship, companionship.

Jorg is German – he’ll probably return to Germany when he retires. He was hired to brew good beer and he’s proud of his work.

Jorg-Erich Sennhenn, the German Brewmaster.

A very modern brewery with the latest in tanks and equipment. Hops and malt imported, mostly from Germany. But Jorg doesn’t brew German beer.

Jorg draws a glass for me!

Jorg’s recipes are crafted to Greenlandic tastes. After tasting brews drawn directly from the kettles, I can testify to their flavor

Jorg shows me his thoroughly modern brewery.

Did I mention that I had to be there every night for the Internet? Don”t believe it!

A draft pulled just for me!

It’ll take time . . .

Fish are the traditional product of Greenland. Greenlanders will tell you of the effects of global warming. The ice sheet that covers about 90% of the land is melting fast. Valuable minerals locked beneath the ice are expected to be accessible. They could be the next big product of Greenland.

Tourism – icebergs and the northern lights – is expanding as a product. The dream of independence is becoming a reality.

Greenlanders are a free people building their destiny!

The Greenlandic Cultural Center.