The Indigenous World 2025: Kalaallit Nunaat (Greenland)

Written on 25 April 2025. Posted in Greenland

Kalaallit Nunaat (Greenland) has been a self-governing country since 1979 within the Kingdom of Denmark (or Danish Realm), which consists of Denmark, the Faroe Islands and Kalaallit Nunaat. The country is a 2 million km² island in the Arctic whose population is 88.9% Greenlandic Inuit out of a total of 56,562 inhabitants (May 2022).^[1] The majority of Greenlandic Inuit refer to themselves as Kalaallit (Kalaaleq in singular). Approximately 17,000 Kalaallit live in Denmark.

Ethnographically, the Kalaallit consist of three major groups: the Kalaallit of West Greenland, who speak Kalaallisut (west Greenlandic); the Livit of Kangia (East Greenland), who speak Livi oraasia (east Greenlandic) and the Inughuit/Avanersuarmiut near Thule who speak Inuktun (north Greenlandic). Kalaallisut is the official language, which the majority of people speak, while the second official language of the country is Danish. The economy includes subsistence hunting, commercial fisheries, tourism, and emerging efforts to develop the mining industry. Greenland has a per capita GDP of approximately USD 52,500 (approximately 50% of the national budget is financed by Denmark through a block grant).

In 2009, the Act on Self-Government was inaugurated, giving the country further self-determination within the Kingdom of Denmark. Together with the Danish Constitution, the Self-Government Act articulates Greenland’s constitutional position in the Kingdom of Denmark. The Self-Government Act recognizes the Greenlandic people as a people under international law with the right to self-determination.

Greenland’s self-government consists of Inatsisartut (Parliament), an elected legislature of 31 elected members, and Naalakkersuisut (Government), which is responsible for overall public administration. The Government of Denmark, on behalf of the Kingdom, including Kalaallit Nunaat, voted in favor of the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP) in 2007 and subsequent Danish governments have committed to its implementation. Greenland and Denmark jointly prepare reports regarding good practice on the implementation of Indigenous Peoples’ rights, as described in the UNDRIP and other international human rights instruments. The Government of Greenland had a decisive influence over the Kingdom of Denmark’s ratification of ILO Convention 169 in 1996, as Greenland has prioritized actions to establish Indigenous Peoples’ collective rights to land and resources in their territories.

The Kalaallit Nunaat chapter of the Inuit Circumpolar Council (ICC KN) was established in 1980, coinciding with the founding of the ICC itself. The ICC was created to represent the collective interests of Inuit across Alaska, Canada, Kalaallit Nunaat, and Chukotka (Russia) and to strengthen Inuit unity on issues such as cultural preservation, environmental sustainability, and Indigenous rights. ICC Greenland represents Inuit interests in Kalaallit Nunaat, advocating for Indigenous rights, sustainability, and cultural preservation. It focuses on promoting Inuit self-determination, environmental stewardship, and the use of traditional knowledge in global decision-making. It also plays a key role in discussions on Arctic marine conservation and climate change impacts. The organization collaborates closely with communities, government, and international partners to amplify Inuit voices globally.

This article is part of the 39^th edition of The Indigenous World, a yearly overview produced by IWGIA that serves to document and report on the developments Indigenous Peoples have experienced. The photo above is of an Indigenous activist Funa-ay Claver, a Bontok Igorot, standing alongside Indigenous youth activists and others. They are protesting against the repressive laws and human rights violations suffered through the actions and projects of the Government of the Philippines and other actors against Indigenous Peoples at President Marcos Jr’s national address on 22 July 2024 in Quezon City, Philippines. The photo was taken by Katribu Kalipunan ng Katutubong Mamamayan ng Pilipinas and is the cover of The Indigenous World 2025 where this article is featured. Find The Indigenous World 2025 in full here

Inuit youth advancement within Inuit Circumpolar Council 

In 2024, ICC Greenland prioritized youth engagement through leadership programs and involvement in international forums. ICC initiated several key programs to advance Inuit youth leadership e.g. the Inuit Youth Engagement Program, launched in October 2024. This program aims to empower young Inuit aged 21-35 by enhancing their leadership skills and deepening their understanding of Inuit culture and global advocacy. Participants engage in online courses, workshops and seminars, and are paired with mentors from ICC's network to guide them through complex issues and opportunities. It is a two-year educational initiative bringing together 12 young Inuit from across the Arctic to collaborate on community advocacy. Selected from 179 applicants, participants work online and in person, focusing on circumpolar and global issues with guidance from mentors in ICC's national offices. As a continuation of this, ICC plans to organize an “Inuit Youth Summit” (in 2026) aimed at creating a new generation of decision-makers and building organizational capacity and sustainability. This initiative underscores ICC's commitment to fostering youth leadership within the Arctic region.

One of the main challenges facing young people in Kalaallit Nunaat is the lack of education and/or not being affiliated with an education program of any sort. By the end of 2023, 5,088 or 69% of Greenlandic youth between the ages 16 and 25 were either in education or employment. 28% of this group was active in education at secondary school or at a level above primary school, while 42% were in employment. The proportion of this group who were neither active in education nor in employment thus amounted to 31% in 2023. The share has stagnated since 2016. In the same period, the share of young people in employment has increased by 3 percentage points, while young people in education have fallen by 2 percentage points.

While there is an acknowledgement that young people in Kalaallit Nunaat have difficulties “penetrating” the education system because it has a (colonial) Danish structure and much teaching takes place in Danish and because many of this group have to move from smaller settlements to bigger cities to get access to education, it still poses a problem with regard to empowering the next generation of Greenlanders to take over positions in Greenlandic society. Initiatives like the youth summits that ICC organizes provide an opportunity for Greenlandic youth to see the need for Arctic youth empowerment in a recognizable setting along with other young fellow Inuit from the Arctic.

Removal of Greenlandic children in Denmark

In Denmark, the proportion of Greenlandic children being placed in care is approximately 7%, compared to 1% of ethnically Danish children. Greenlandic parents face the removal of their children by social services, often based on parenting competency tests conducted in Danish and with Danish/Western standards as a backdrop. Critics argue that these assessments fail to account of cultural and linguistic differences, potentially leading to unjust child removals and leading to a disproportionate number of removals. The Institute for Human Rights and many other institutions working with Greenlanders in Denmark have called on municipalities to stop using these misleading tests on Greenlandic parents, as they are not adapted to Greenlandic language and culture. The situation has intensified discussions about systemic discrimination and the need for culturally-appropriate practices in child welfare assessments. In response to public outcry and protests in both Greenland and Denmark, some municipalities, such as Esbjerg, have ceased using these culturally-insensitive tests.

Additionally, the Danish Social and Housing Minister pledged to instruct municipalities to discontinue the use of non-culturally adapted psychological evaluations in cases involving Greenlandic families in the fall of 2024, upon strong appeal by Naalakkersuisut (the Government of Greenland). This problem was the subject of repeated media coverage in Denmark and internationally throughout 2024.^[2]

Speaking Greenlandic in the Danish Parliament

The Danish Parliament (Folketing) includes four North Atlantic mandates from each of the two territories, namely Faroe Islands and Greenland, reflecting their representation within the Kingdom of Denmark. The Members of Parliament from these two territories advocate for local interests and often highlight issues such as cultural rights, autonomy, and regional development.

One of the Greenlandic MPs, Aki-Matilda Høegh-Dam (born in 1996), representing the Siumut party, has been a prominent advocate for the use of the Greenlandic language (Kalaallisut) in the Danish Parliament. In May 2023, she delivered a seven-minute speech entirely in Greenlandic during a parliamentary debate, refusing to translate it into Danish. This act highlighted the lack of simultaneous interpretation services and sparked discussions about linguistic inclusion in the Folketing. In the past, the parliamentary leadership has required that speeches in Greenlandic be immediately translated by the speaker. However, in November 2024, the Folketing trialed simultaneous interpretation for the first time, allowing Høegh-Dam to speak in her native language without providing an immediate translation herself. This development marked a significant step towards accommodating linguistic diversity within the Danish legislative process.

The ability to use Greenlandic in the Danish Parliament aligns with international commitments to Indigenous rights under ILO Convention No. 169 and the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP), particularly the following articles:

• ILO 169, Article 28: This article emphasizes that Indigenous Peoples have the right to use their languages in administrative, legal, and political processes. Allowing Greenlandic in the Folketing directly supports this provision by enabling Greenlandic-speaking MPs to fully participate in governance without linguistic barriers.
• UNDRIP, Article 13: It recognizes the right of Indigenous Peoples to use, revitalize, and develop their languages in political and legal contexts. The inclusion of Greenlandic in parliamentary debates fosters this principle, promoting linguistic and cultural preservation.
• UNDRIP, Article 19: This article mandates states to consult and cooperate with Indigenous Peoples through their representatives in matters affecting them. By enabling Greenlandic-speaking MPs to address parliament in their native language, it ensures better communication and authentic representation of Greenlandic concerns.

This step demonstrates a move towards respecting and implementing these international standards within the governance framework of the Kingdom of Denmark. It is also noteworthy that this change has been brought about by a young Greenlandic politician who has – among other things – been part of UNICEF Greenland’s NAKUUSA program, the main purpose of which is to provide education on the UN Convention of the Rights of the Child and to involve children and youth in societal developments and decisions, including policy development.

Human Rights Council of Greenland (IPS) 

The IPS was established in 2013 based on the UN Paris Principles and it works to promote and protect human rights in Greenland. The council consists of four permanent members representing advocacy organizations such as MIO (National Advocacy Center working for Children’s Rights), Tilioq (National Advocacy Organization for People with Disabilities), the Elder Spokesperson, and the Chair of the Gender Equality Council, along with 10 members appointed by Inatsisartut (the Greenlandic Parliament) for a four-year term. IPS focuses on educating the public about their rights, advising authorities and NGOs, and encouraging Inatsisartut to ratify UN human rights conventions. The council does not have the legal authority to handle individual cases or complaints from citizens.

In 2024 IPS – in cooperation with the Danish Institute for Human Rights – launched digital teaching materials for public employees, civil society organizations, students and people on human rights in Greenland, including the role of the UNDRIP in Greenland. The teaching material consists of six interactive modules that bring users close to the history and importance of human rights in both an international context and in Greenland. IPS and the Danish Institute for Human Rights also jointly published a handbook titled Menneskerettigheder (Human Rights). This comprehensive guide aims to provide professionals and others engaged in human rights in Greenland with a foundational understanding of general human rights protections, as well as the rights specific to certain groups. The handbook seeks to enhance knowledge and awareness of human rights issues within the Greenlandic context.

“Nothing about us without us” – Foreign, Security, and Defense Policy of Kalaallit Nunaat

In 2024, Naalakkersuisut (the Government of Greenland) made its first ever Foreign, Security, and Defense Policy for the period 2024-2033. The following elements of this strategy can be highlighted:

• Greenland asserts its right to self-determination and aims for greater international influence, ensuring that policies concerning the Arctic include its direct participation—summed up in the principle: “Nothing about us without us.”
• The strategy prioritizes regional partnerships, especially with Arctic and North American neighbors (Canada, the U.S., and Iceland), to enhance trade, infrastructure, and diplomatic ties.
• Climate change is a central concern, requiring adaptation strategies for hunting, fishing, and infrastructure while leveraging Greenland’s mineral and energy resources for the global green transition.
• Greenland emphasizes peace and low tension in the Arctic, opposing militarization while strengthening its role in security cooperation through NATO, Denmark, and the U.S.
• The strategy promotes Indigenous rights, human rights, and Greenland’s independent cultural and economic identity while working within multilateral organizations such as the Arctic Council, the UN, and the EU.

Specifically on Indigenous Peoples and Human Rights, the strategy addresses the following areas:

• It explicitly frames Greenland as an Indigenous Arctic nation, prioritizing the well-being and self-determination of its people within all foreign, security, and defense policies.
• It highlights the ICC as a key organization in Arctic governance, advocating for stronger Indigenous representation in international forums.
• It commits to ensuring that Indigenous perspectives are central to Arctic Council policies, emphasizing cultural sustainability alongside environmental and economic development.
• It stresses Greenland’s historical participation in the UNDRIP and ongoing human rights advocacy.
• It reinforces the need for Indigenous involvement in climate policy, recognizing how traditional ways of life – hunting, fishing, and land use – are disproportionately affected by global warming.
• It calls for increased international cooperation on social issues affecting Indigenous communities, such as education, healthcare, and gender equality.
• It wishes to expand freedom of movement for Inuit across national borders, particularly with Canada and Alaska.
• It promotes Indigenous economic empowerment as a key theme, including sustainable trade policies that respect traditional livelihoods while integrating Greenlandic industries into the global economy.

In this overall context, there is an ambition to seek stronger diplomatic representation at the UN with an aim to influence policies on decolonization, self-determination, and human rights. The strategy strongly opposes foreign interventions that disregard Indigenous governance and emphasizes that security measures in the Arctic must respect the rights and sovereignty of the Greenlandic people.

Threat to Greenlandic sovereignty

On 23 December 2024, U.S. President-elect Donald Trump reiterated his intention for the U.S. to acquire Greenland, describing its ownership and control as “an absolute necessity” for national security and global freedom. This renewed proposal, similar to his 2019 idea, was promptly rejected by Greenland's Premier, Múte B. Egede, who stated, “Greenland is ours. We are not for sale and will never be for sale.” Denmark's government also dismissed the idea, emphasizing Greenland's autonomy and their unwillingness to engage in such discussions. In response to these developments, Denmark announced plans to bolster its defense presence in Greenland, aiming to enhance security and assert sovereignty over the Arctic territory.^[3]

Nauja Bianco is a native Greenlander, born and raised in the capital, Nuuk, and now living and working in Copenhagen, Denmark as an independent consultant. For 15 years, Ms Bianco worked in government and diplomacy for various bodies, including the Government of Greenland, as a diplomat in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Denmark and in the intergovernmental organization of the Nordic Council of Ministers. In 2020, she became the CEO of the Greenlandic House and the North Atlantic House in Odense, Denmark. North Atlantic House is a cultural house displaying arts and culture from Greenland, Faroe Islands, and Iceland along with a business network facilitating greater business knowledge of the three countries. Ms Bianco is a member of IWGIA’s Board.

This article is part of the 39^th edition of The Indigenous World, a yearly overview produced by IWGIA that serves to document and report on the developments Indigenous Peoples have experienced. The photo above is of an Indigenous activist Funa-ay Claver, a Bontok Igorot, standing alongside Indigenous youth activists and others. They are protesting against the repressive laws and human rights violations suffered through the actions and projects of the Government of the Philippines and other actors against Indigenous Peoples at President Marcos Jr’s national address on 22 July 2024 in Quezon City, Philippines. The photo was taken by Katribu Kalipunan ng Katutubong Mamamayan ng Pilipinas and is the cover of The Indigenous World 2025 where this article is featured. Find The Indigenous World 2025 in full here

Notes and references

^[1] “Statistics Greenland. Greenland in Figures 2022.” Statistics Greenland, May 2022. https://stat.gl/publ/en/GF/2022/pdf/Greenland%20in%20Figures%202022.pdf

^[2] Editorial note: On Friday 17 January 2025, the Danish government and Naalakkersuisut agreed to abandon the use of standardized psychological tests, known as “forældrekompetenceundersøgelser”, in child welfare cases involving Greenlandic parents. Instead, municipalities will be required to consult a specialized unit with expertise in Greenlandic cultural and linguistic contexts when assessing such cases. This decision follows ongoing concerns about the disproportionate number of Greenlandic children placed in care compared to their Danish counterparts.

^[3] Editorial note: since 23 December 2024, a line of events have happened from January 2025 and until this moment (February 2025) in this specific question, in the context of the U.S. President maintaining a position of acquiring and/or controlling Kalaallit Nunaat, which has sparked a diplomatic and international crisis not seen since the end of WWII. This cannot be covered in this given space and merits a separate article.

AP News (4 October 2024): “Inuit lawmaker asked to leave the podium at Danish Parliament after speaking only in Greenlandic”, https://apnews.com/article/denmark-greenland-inuit-language-parliament-lawmaker-3d55f40e74c957b87bdffabe624d735d

Arctic Today (12 December 2024): “A view from Greenland about forced child removal as Greenlanders protest Danish welfare services”, https://www.arctictoday.com/a-view-from-greenland-about-forced-child-removal-as-greenlanders-protest-danish-welfare-services/

BBC (26 January 2025): “Trump says he believes US will 'get Greenland'”, https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/crkezj07rzro

Belfer Center (20 December 2023): “Decolonizing the Education System in Greenland”, https://www.belfercenter.org/publication/decolonizing-education-system-greenland

Copenhagen Post, The: “Esbjerg stops “discriminatory” psychological tests in Greenlandic family cases”, https://cphpost.dk/2024-07-08/news/esbjerg-stops-discriminatory-psychological-tests-in-greenlandic-family-cases/?utm_

CNN (23 December 2024): “Trump is teasing US expansion into Panama, Greenland and Canada”, https://edition.cnn.com/2024/12/23/politics/trump-us-expansion-panama-canada-greenland/index.html

Copenhagen Post, The: (26 November 2024): “For the first time, Danish won’t be used in Folketing parliamentary work”, https://cphpost.dk/2024-11-26/news/politics/for-the-first-time-danish-wont-be-used-in-folketing-parliamentary-work/

El País International (15 January 2025): “Denmark’s dark history with Greenland: Children torn from their families and women forcibly fitted with IUDs”, https://english.elpais.com/international/2025-01-15/the-deep-scars-between-greenland-and-denmark-children-torn-from-their-families-and-women-forcibly-fitted-with-iuds.html

Eurac Research (9 December 2024): “What Greenlandic in the Danish Parliament has to do with bilingual place-name signs in the border region”, https://www.eurac.edu/en/blogs/midas/what-greenlandic-in-the-danish-parliament-has-to-do-with-bilingual-place-name-sig

Eye on the Arctic (2024): “Inuit Circumpolar Council launches youth leadership program”, https://www.rcinet.ca/eye-on-the-arctic/2024/11/01/183903/

France24.com (24 December 2024): “Trump stirs tensions with remarks on buying Greenland, seizing Panama Canal”, https://www.france24.com/en/live-news/20241223-is-he-serious-trump-stirs-unease-with-panama-greenland-ploys

Guardian, The (12 May 2023): “Greenlandic MP refuses to speak Danish in parliament debate”, https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/may/12/greenlandic-mp-refuses-to-speak-danish-in-parliament-debate

Guardian, The (31 October 2024): “‘If I don’t do it, who will?’: Greenlandic MP defends actions in Danish parliament”, https://www.theguardian.com/world/2024/oct/31/if-i-dont-do-it-who-will-greenlandic-mp-defends-actions-in-danish-parliament

Grønlands Statistik (2025): “Uddannelses og beskæftigelse af unge 2023”, https://stat.gl/dialog/main.asp?lang=da&version=202501&sc=UD&subthemecode=O1&colcode=O

Guardian, The (25 November 2024): “Danish parenting tests under fire after baby removed from Greenlandic mother”, https://www.theguardian.com/world/2024/nov/25/danish-parenting-tests-baby-removed-from-greenlandic-mother

Institut for Menneskerettigheder (27 June 2024): “Kommuner bør stoppe brugen af misvisende tests af grønlandske forældre”, https://menneskeret.dk/nyheder/kommuner-boer-stoppe-brugen-misvisende-tests-groenlandske-foraeldre?utm_source=chatgpt.com

Inuit Circumpolar Council (2024): https://www.inuitcircumpolar.com/

Inuit Circumpolar Council (2024): “ICC Launches the Inuit Youth Engagement Program” https://www.inuitcircumpolar.com/news/icc-launches-the-inuit-youth-engagement-program/

Inuit Circumpolar Council (2023): Important Message from Arctic Indigenous Youth: “Look to the Future Not with Fear, But with Resolve”, https://www.inuitcircumpolar.com/news/important-message-from-arctic-indigenous-youthlook-to-the-future-not-with-fear-but-with-resolve/

Inuit Pisinnaatitaaffii pillugit Siunnersuisoqatigiit (IPS) - The Greenland Council for Human Rights https://humanrights.gl/da/nyheder

KNR.gl (20 November 2024): “Dansk socialminister sender brev til kommuner om omstridte forældretests”, https://knr.gl/da/nyheder/dansk-socialminister-sender-brev-til-kommuner-om-omstridte-foraeldretests?

MIO - National Advocacy Center working for Children’s Rights, https://mio.gl/?lang=en

Naalakkersuisut (24 February 2025): “Greenland in the world – nothing about us without us” (Government of Greenland’s Foreign, Security, and Defense Policy 2024–2033), https://naalakkersuisut.gl/Departementer/Dep_for_Udenrigsanliggender_Selvstaendighed/Publikationer?sc_lang=da

Naalakkersuisoq.gl (1 July 2024): ”Styrkelse af sundhed og trivsel i Grønland: en banebrydende samarbejdserklæring med WHO/Europa”, https://naalakkersuisut.gl/Nyheder/2024/07/0107_who_mou?

Naalakkersuisoq.gl (15 November 2024): “Brugen af psykologiske tests ved forældrekompetenceundersøgelser af grønlandske familier i Danmark stopper”, https://naalakkersuisut.gl/Nyheder/2024/11/1511_Brugen?sc_lang=da&utm_

News.com (8 January 2025): “‘Absolute necessity’: Trump’s plan to buy Greenland”, https://www.news.com.au/world/north-america/us-politics/absolute-necessity-trumps-plan-to-buy-worlds-largest-island/news-story

New York Post (23 December 2024): “Trump is ‘100% serious’ about acquiring Greenland, Panama Canal, say sources close to prez-elect”, https://nypost.com/2024/12/23/us-news/trump-is-100-serious-about-acquiring-greenland-panama-canal-sources/

Reuters (12 May 2024): “Awkward moment in Denmark's parliament as Greenlandic MP refuses to speak Danish”, https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/awkward-moment-denmarks-parliament-greenlandic-mp-refuses-speak-danish-2023-05-12/

Reuters (23 December 2024): “Greenland is not for sale, its leader says in response to Trump”, https://www.reuters.com/world/americas/greenland-is-not-sale-its-leader-says-response-trump-2024-12-23/

Ritzau (26 November 2024): “Danish Parliament tests Greenlandic translation”, https://danishnews.ritzau.com/article/b9a8e0d7-01d5-4902-8719-82903d8d73fa0undefined

Uric.org (2024): “Greenlanders should take pride in their indigenous identity”, https://unric.org/en/greenlanders-should-take-pride-in-their-indigenous-identity/

Foreign Affairs Ministry of Denmark (www.um.dk) (25 May 2024): “National Statement Denmark with Greenland Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues on The Arctic”, https://fnnewyork.um.dk/en/statements/national-statement-denmark-with-greenland-permanent-forum-on-indigenous-issues-on-the-arctic

UNICEF (Greenland): https://unicef.gl/

UN (9 September 2013): “UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples: A Guide for Adolescents”, https://www.un.org/development/desa/indigenouspeoples/publications/2013/09/adolescent-friendly-version-of-the-un-declaration-on-the-rights-of-indigenous-peoples/

Tags: Youth, Human rights, International Processes , Indigenous Peoples Rights