Greenlanders in Denmark: Navigating identity, past injustice, and political awakening

According to Statistics Greenland, over 17,000 people born in Greenland reside in Denmark, with around 3,000 living in Copenhagen. For many members of this diaspora, living in Denmark involves balancing their arctic heritage with the daily reality of subtle and explicit social bias. 

The relationship between the two nations has reached a turning point following Denmark's decision to compensate Greenlandic women subjected to forced intrauterine devices (IUDs) between 1961 and 1991. This reckoning has raised the question of how Greenlandic people have been treated by Denmark through the years, and whether things are changing now.

Copenhagen as a cultural anchor

“From my experience growing up partly in Denmark, you have always been looked upon as if you are worth less,” says Nauja Lynge.

Lynge is a Greenlandic and Danish author, who moved from Nuuk, Greenland to Denmark when she was eight years old. She is currently writing about the IUD case, known in Denmark as “Spiralsagen”. Lynge is also a panelist on TV and a lecturer talking about the relationship between Greenland and Denmark.

While she loves Denmark, hearing about the existing prejudices about Greenlanders while growing up has been painful, she says.

The author notes that there are big differences between where in Denmark you live when it comes to fitting in and expressing her identity as a Greenlandic woman. By contrast, Denmark's capital Copenhagen offers a safer space.

“I’ve always felt the only place where I could be a Greenlander was in Copenhagen,” she explains.

The capital hosts key institutions for Greenlandic people, notably The Greenlandic House (Det Grønlandske Hus) and Nordatlantens Brygge. Lynge explains that she feels at home at The Greenlandic house, where she always has someone to talk to and feels like she is amongst equals. This type of house can also be found in Aarhus, Aalborg, and Odense. 

At the house, we meet choir member Laila Chemnitz, who moved to Denmark at age 14. She goes to the house every week to rehearse with the female Greenlandic choir Aavaat, who celebrate their 30th anniversary this year. 

For her, the Greenlandic House is an important institution where you can meet other Greenlanders. According to Chemnitz, both the Greenlandic humor and way of speaking differs a lot from the Danes. 

“It is nice to meet other people who are like you,” she says.

Political friction and geopolitical shifts

Political representation for Greenland in the Danish parliament (Folketinget) is limited to two seats. One of them is held by Qarsoq Høegh-Dam who represents the Greenlandic party Naleraq.

Høegh-Dam describes a dual reality where Denmark shows greater openness toward Greenlanders in Greenland than those residing in Denmark.

“The problem we're facing is that Denmark is still hesitant to accept itself as a former colonial power,” says Høegh-Dam.

This historical reluctance has collided with escalating international scrutiny. In recent years, “Spiralsagen” has gained publicity across the globe. “Spiralsagen” marks a period between 1961 and 1991 where thousands of Greenlandic girls and women were fitted with IUDs without informed consent.

Greenlandic women were recently awarded 300,000 Danish kroner in compensation for having IUDs involuntarily inserted. This week, the first Greenlandic women received compensation.

Combined with heightened global diplomatic interest in the Arctic, this exposure prevents Denmark for maintaining a low profile regarding its treatment of Greenlanders, Høegh-Dam claims.

“Now, everyone is watching. From the great superpowers all the way to the journalists and the neighboring countries, everyone's eyes are directed towards us,” he says.

To move forward, he argues that the state must acknowledge past wrongdoings.

At the same time, shifting geopolitical dynamics have emboldened Greenlanders. The long-standing narrative that Greenland is worthless without Denmark has been completely flipped as world powers recognize the island's strategic value, Høegh-Dam says.

A wish for Greenlandic people to be heard

The Greenlandic politician views his mandate in Copenhagen through a clear lens:

“My catchphrase is that I am at the Danish parliament to make myself unemployed, because I want power going back to Greenland”.

For the diaspora, structural reform in Denmark is vital. Nauja Lynge campaigns for Greenlanders in Denmark to receive official status as a recognized national minority to protect their language, heritage, and identity.

Ultimately, the drive for recognition centers on securing an equal voice. As Lynge stresses, formal minority status is all about dignity.

“I strongly feel like we need to become a national minority because it will help us, gain our roots with us, care about our language, our culture. And first of all, it's about being heard. It's about everything else. It's about me and the others wanting to have their own voice,” she says.

The Greenlandic author is clear about what she wishes for the future:

“I want changes, not for my generation, but for the next generation.”