Greenland's Inuit reclaim identity as independence debate grows and another US VIP visit looms
During colonial rule, Denmark enforced assimilation policies, unofficially banning the Inuit language, forced sterilisations and removing children from their families to be placed in Danish homes. Policies which left Greenlanders bitter.
READ MORE : http://www.euronews.com/2025/03/23/greenlands-inuits-reclaim-identity-as-independence-debate-grows-and-another-us-vip-visit-l
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During colonial rule, Denmark enforced assimilation policies, unofficially banning the Inuit language, forced sterilisations and removing children from their families to be placed in Danish homes. Policies which left Greenlanders bitter.
READ MORE : http://www.euronews.com/2025/03/23/greenlands-inuits-reclaim-identity-as-independence-debate-grows-and-another-us-vip-visit-l
Subscribe to our channel. Euronews is available on Dailymotion in 12 languages
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00:00Greenland's Inuits are reclaiming their identity as the independence debate grows.
00:07During colonial rule, Denmark enforced assimilation policies, unofficially banning the Inuit language,
00:14forced sterilizations and the removal of children from their families to be placed in Danish
00:20homes.
00:21Policies which left Greenlanders bitter.
00:27Inuit Greenlander Aviaja Rakiel says it is time for the Inuit people to speak up.
00:32Inuit hasn't been heard.
00:35We have been so isolated for hundreds of years and this time is the time for Inuit to speak
00:43up.
00:44As Greenland regained autonomy in the late 20th century, its population is still made
00:50up of 90% Inuit today, most of them which are Lutheran, a faith introduced by Danish
00:56missionaries over 300 years ago.
01:00The sacredness of Christianity is still sacred in my eyes, but so is Buddhism, so is Hinduism
01:08and so is my work.
01:11And that's where I stand in this, that the arising of our culture and us as a people
01:18is also to get the equality within our culture, to acknowledge that our culture is legit.
01:26Some Greenlanders say global interest in their minerals and the push for independence
01:32has allowed them to speak more openly about abuses committed by Denmark.
01:38I used to feel like it was cooler to be a Dane or cooler to be able to speak Danish
01:46where it was embarrassing to practice our traditions.
01:54Greenland is experiencing immigration, with 300 to 400 more people leaving than arriving
02:00each year.
02:02Whether the revival of ancient traditions can reverse the trend remains to be seen.