The Indigenous World 2026: Kalaallit Nunaat (Greenland)

Written on 22 April 2026. 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 56,740 inhabitants (February 2026^[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 Iivit of Kangia (East Greenland), who speak Iivi 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 as well as energy. Greenland has a per capita GDP of approximately USD 52,500 (approx. EUR 44,800) (approximately 50% of the national budget is financed by Denmark through a block grant).

The Act on Self-Government was inaugurated in 2009, 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 the Inatsisartut (Parliament), an elected legislature of 31 elected members, and the 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.

This article is part of the 40^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. Find The Indigenous World 2026 in full here

The situation of Kalaallit Nunaat has now changed drastically and 2025 was an exceptional year. Kalaallit Nunaat is geographically placed in a geopolitical hotspot with superpower interests at play and the threat from U.S. President Trump epitomized this with his “suggestion” to buy Kalaallit Nunaat, which commenced in December 2024. Coinciding with this, in 2024, and some months before the threats started, the first ever Greenlandic foreign, security and defense policy strategy was published, which first of all stated the values that Kalaallit Nunaat are committed to: the principles of democracy, human rights, respect for international law and the right of people to self-determination. The strategy also strives to keep the Arctic a low-tension region.^[2] It became clear during 2025 that the latter was no longer realistic due to the U.S. threats toward the integrity of the Kingdom of Denmark and, essentially, the erosion of international law and politics as it has been known since the end of WWII.

Furthermore, Kalaallit Nunaat has been gaining tremendous amounts of international attention due to the continuing statements from the U.S. president on taking over the country, which is viewed as an extremely disrespectful approach by the Kingdom of Denmark and many allies (within the Nordics, Europe, and Canada) and in complete opposition to the Greenlandic wish for self-determination. However, this attention has put a spotlight on Kalaallit Nunaat and, with that, an opportunity has been opened up to establish a more permanent and robust position in international politics while continuing to stand firm on the right to self-determination and the rights of the Kalaallit Inuit as an Indigenous people.

U.S. threat to the right to self-determination

There was a general election in Kalaallit Nunaat in March 2025 with a new Inatsisartut (parliament) forming a new Naalakkersuisut (government) given that the liberal Demokraatit party, to everyone’s surprise (themselves included), won the election with around 29.9% of the vote.^[3] Along with the Inuit Ataqatigiit, Siumut and Atassut parties, Demokraatit built a coalition of 23 members of parliament, leaving Naleraq as the only opposition party, with eight members. This marked the first time that neither Siumut nor Inuit Ataqatigiit had won the election.

The newly-installed parliament hit the ground running as U.S. President Trump continued to threaten to either buy or take over Kalaallit Nunaat, while refusing to take the possibility of economic or military force off the table.^[4] The threats from the U.S. President have been a disruption to the usual way for Kalaallit since he first raised the issue in 2019.

Only since 2024, however, have the threats been taken seriously by both Kalaallit Nunaat and the global society. The threats from Trump have taken a serious toll on Kalaallit –the people of Kalaallit Nunaat– and caused unease, anger and frustration among the population.

This was especially following the aggressive pressure from the U.S. during the year, starting with Donald Trump Jr. visiting the Kalaallit Nunaat capital Nuuk in January.^[5] The official reason for the visit was allegedly leisure but, during the visit, Trump Jr. and the now deceased right-wing influencer Charlie Kirk posted videos saying that the Danes were racist towards Kalaallit. The visit resulted in massive international media attention, much of it pushed by the American delegation to make it seem as if Kalaallit Nunaat had an interest in becoming a part of the United States. Greenlandic government officials and the public have repeatedly stated that this is not the case. Shortly after, the American Vice-President JD Vance and his wife Usha announced a visit to Kalaallit Nunaat, allegedly to experience the culture. Their plans were nonetheless deterred due to resistance and protests from the Greenlandic population. They ended up visiting only the American Pituffik Space Base.^[6]

The world’s attention inevitably follows the attention of the U.S. President, and views on the U.S. changed drastically. The larger cities of Kalaallit Nunaat, especially Nuuk, were (and still are) overrun by international journalists, and there was a sense of uncertainty as to the future of Kalaallit Nunaat and the population. Kalaallit and Naalakkersuisut nevertheless stood firm on their right to determine the future of Kalaallit Nunaat, repeating that Kalaallit Nunaat belongs to Kalaallit.

International support for Kalaallit Nunaat
Following the American threats, Kalaallit Nunaat received support from a number of countries, including France, as French President Emmanuel Macron visited Nuuk in May as a sign of European unity and solidarity,^[7] and German junior defense minister Nils Schmid showcasing an increased focus on security in the Arctic when he visited Nuuk in August.^[8]

Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen spoke at the European Parliament, as the first ever Greenlandic Prime Minister to do so. He recognized the EU as a reliable partner for Kalaallit Nunaat and how the cooperation had expanded in various areas such as education, minerals and climate change. He spoke of the importance of strengthened partnership between Kalaallit Nunaat and the EU.^[9] Nielsen received a standing ovation following his speech.^[10]

Military and the Arctic
The Danish Defense Intelligence Agency assessed the U.S. as a possible threat, signaling a pivot in international systems and the decades-long cooperation between Europe, Kalaallit Nunaat and the U.S.^[11] Prior to this, it was revealed that the U.S. had increased intelligence gathering on Kalaallit Nunaat, further intensifying the situation.^[12]

On several occasions, American officials, including the president and the vice-president, have claimed that Denmark has underinvested in security in the Arctic.^[13] And yet capacity has increased in Kalaallit Nunaat. During 2025, two partial agreements totaling more than DKK 42 billion (approx. EUR 5.62 billion) were concluded in an agreement between Kalaallit Nunaat, Faroe Islands and Denmark on security in the Arctic and North Atlantic. The agreements include increased presence and capacity such as ships, satellites and drones,^[14] as well as an expansion of admissions to the Arctic basic training program based in Kangerlussuaq.^[15]

Countering the narrative of under-prioritized Arctic security, several military exercises have been conducted in Kalaallit Nunaat, including the “Arctic Light 2025” military exercise and the “Arctic Endurance” exercise, during which NATO allies, including France, Germany, Sweden, Norway, Finland, Netherlands, Iceland and Belgium, joined Danish forces in training under Arctic conditions.^[16],[17]

A Kalaaleq as Arctic Ambassador in the Arctic Council

The Kingdom of Denmark (Kalaallit Nunaat, Faroe Islands and Denmark) assumed the chairship of the Arctic Council in 2025, taking over from the Norwegians. The Greenlandic diplomat Kenneth Høegh was appointed Arctic Ambassador for the Kingdom of Denmark as the first ever Inuk person. This marked an historic change in dynamics as Naalakkersuisut had long fought for the right to take the lead on Arctic issues within the Kingdom of Denmark, as the only country in the kingdom situated in the Arctic and as the only country with an Indigenous population –an issue that is high on the Arctic Council priorities.

The Kingdom of Denmark, now with Kalaallit Nunaat in the lead, identified Indigenous Peoples and Communities of the Arctic; Sustainable Economic Development and Energy Transition Solutions; Oceans; Climate Change in the Arctic; and Biodiversity as the topics of priority until the end of the Kingdom of Denmark’s chairship in 2027^[18] (see also The Indigenous World 2026 Arctic Council).

Iivi Oraasia in the Danish Parliament

For the first time in history, Iivi oraasia (East Greenlandic) was spoken in the Danish Parliament (Folketinget). The East Greenlandic speech was delivered at the opening debate of the Folketing on 9 October 2025 by Elvira Kûitse from Tasiilaq, representing the Naleraq party (with simultaneous interpretation into Danish). Elvira Kûitse substituted for MP Aki-Matilda Høegh-Dam for two months while Høegh-Dam was focusing on her work as an MP in the Greenlandic parliament Inatsisartut,^[19] (Read also The Indigenous World 2025: Kalaallit Nunaat for more information of the Greenlandic MPs in Denmark and Kalaallisut spoken in the Folketing).^[20]

A path towards reconciliation?

An official apology for the contraception case
The women and families affected by the forced contraception campaign (the so-called IUD-scandal), where Greenlandic Inuit women and girls were fitted with IUDs or other forms of contraception, in many cases without their consent and in some cases even without their knowledge,^[21] received an official apology at a ceremony in Nuuk in September 2025. The Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen apologized on behalf of the Danish State to the women who were affected from the 1960s up until 1991 and the Greenlandic Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen apologized on behalf of Naalakkersuisut (Government of Greenland) to the women who were affected after 1991, where Greenland took over responsibility for the healthcare system in Greenland. The apology signaled an acknowledgement of the pain and suffering the campaign had caused for both the individuals who were affected and for Greenlandic society as a whole. Following the official apology, the women were still fighting for the right to compensation for the mental and physical strain they suffered, referring to the fact that they still have to live with the consequences today. They are now able to seek help with mental health professionals.

The apology came shortly after a report on the contraception campaign was published. The report included stories of women’s horrifying experiences.^[22]

The Inuit women affected by the campaign after 1991 have, since October 2025, had the opportunity to apply for individual compensation of DKK 300,000 (approx. EUR 40,155) from the Government of Greenland. The Inuit women affected by the campaign before 1992 will, from April 2026, be able to apply for the same amount of individual compensation through a reconciliation fund.^[23]

In 2023, Naalakkersuisut decided to initiate an official investigation into the human rights aspect of the contraception campaign as well as whether or not the campaign could be defined as genocide. The report was finalized and submitted to Naalakkersuisut in January 2026 but has not yet been made available to the public.^[24]

The Danish government presents new initiatives for equal treatment of Greenlandic Inuit in Denmark
The Danish government has acknowledged racism and discrimination towards Greenlandic Inuit as a serious issue in Denmark and presented a strategy with 12 initiatives to combat this. Part of the solution is to establish ongoing efforts. To do so, the Danish government has allocated DKK 35 million (approx. EUR 468,000) to cover this issue up to 2028.^[25]

Forced removals of Greenlandic children in Denmark
Inuit children are still five to seven times more likely to be placed outside the home than Danish children. This has, amongst other things, been linked to the use of psychological testing of parents that does not take cultural differences into account.^[26] The tests were heavily criticized by policymakers and led to demonstrations in both Kalaallit Nunaat and Denmark. In the end, Naalakkersuisut and the Danish government reached an agreement to stop using the tests in cases concerning Greenlandic Inuit families. Instead, a special unit with expertise in Greenlandic linguistic and culture will assess the cases.

Some of the cases of forced removals based on this test will be reopened by the special unit.^[27] However, it is still up to the Danish municipalities to assess which cases will be forwarded to the special unit, leaving a risk of incorrect assessments of the linguistic and cultural needs of the families in question.

Malu Rosing is a Greenlandic Inuk from the capital city Nuuk of Kalaallit Nunaat. Ms Rosing holds a Bachelor’s degree in journalism and culture and language studies and a Master’s degree in cross-cultural studies. She recently worked for Naalakkersuisut (Government of Greenland) Ministry of Foreign Affairs at the Greenland Representation in Washington D.C. and is currently based in Copenhagen as IWGIA’s Advisor on Arctic and Human Rights Systems.

Nauja Bianco is a native Greenlander, born and raised in the capital, Nuuk, 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 North Atlantic House and the Greenlandic 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 40^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. Find The Indigenous World 2026 in full here

Notes and references

^[1] Grønlands Statistik. “Befolkning.” https://stat.gl/dialog/topmain.asp?lang=da&subject=Befolkning&sc=BE

^[2] Greenland in the World – Nothing about us without us. Greenland’s Foreign, Security and Defense Policy, 2024-2033 – An Arctic Strategy. Naalakkersuisut (2024).

^[3] “Valg i Grønland.” Qinersineq.gl. https://www.qinersineq.gl/

^[4] Reuters. “Trump Will Not Rule Out Force to Take Panama Canal, Greenland.” 7 January 2025. https://www.reuters.com/world/trump-wont-rule-out-military-economic-action-he-seeks-control-panama-canal-2025-01-07/

^[5] Reuters. “Trump Jr. Visits Greenland after His Father Says He Wants to Take It Over.” 6 January 2025. https://www.reuters.com/world/trump-jr-plans-greenland-visit-fathers-interest-resurfaces-2025-01-06/

^[6] BBC News. “Greenland: JD Vance Takes Ominous Message to Danish Territory.” https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cp3y3vdvdggo

^[7] BBC News. “Macron Visits Greenland in Show of European Unity and Signal to Trump.” https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c0j7x2xe54eo

^[8] Euractiv. “Berlin Docks in Greenland Ahead of Pistorius Arctic Solidarity Trip.” https://www.euractiv.com/news/berlin-docks-in-greenland-ahead-of-pistorius-arctic-solidarity-trip/

^[9] Sermitsiaq. “Jens-Frederik Nielsen i Strasbourg: Vil Styrke Båndene til EU.” 2024. https://www.sermitsiaq.ag/samfund/jens-frederik-nielsen-i-strasbourg-vil-styrke-bandene-til-eu/2292075

^[10] European Parliament. “Formal Sitting: Address by Jens-Frederik Nielsen, Greenlandic Prime Minister.” Multimedia Centre. https://multimedia.europarl.europa.eu/en/video/formal-sitting-address-by-jens-frederik-nielsen-greenlandic-prime-minister_I278034

^[11] High North News. “Danish Intelligence Warns U.S. ‘Hemispheric Approach’ Raises Arctic Security Uncertainty.” https://en.highnorthnews.com/politics/danish-intelligence-warns-us-hemispheric-approach-raises-arctic-security-uncertainty/1094869

^[12] Associated Press. “Danish Leader Says, ‘You Cannot Spy Against an Ally’ after Reports of US Gathering Intel on Greenland.” AP News. 2024. https://apnews.com/article/denmark-us-greenland-spying-7f7e75e3d0985b2e1ee38a9fc426e17d

^[13] Associated Press. “Vance Accuses Denmark of Underinvesting in Greenland as Trump Presses for US Takeover of the Island.” AP News. 2025. https://apnews.com/article/greenland-denmark-vance-visit-us-base-dd58fe169672042f803886da55ff3c0b

^[14] Forsvarsministeriet. “Arktis og Nordatlanten.” https://www.fmn.dk/da/arbejdsomraader/nationale-opgaver/arktis/

^[15] DR Nyheder. “Milliardstor Arktis-aftale Investere i Tre Nye Skibe, Droner og Øget Tilstedeværelse.” 2024. https://www.dr.dk/nyheder/politik/milliardstor-arktis-aftale-investerer-i-tre-nye-skibe-droner-og-oeget

^[16] Danish Armed Forces. “Large-Scale Exercise in Greenland with NATO Allies.” 2025. https://www.forsvaret.dk/en/news/2025/large-scale-exercise-in-greenland-with-nato-allies/

^[17] Danish Armed Forces. “Arctic Endurance Fortsætter i Hele 2026.” 2026. https://www.forsvaret.dk/da/nyheder/2026/ovelse-arctic-endurance-styrker-hele-nato/

^[18] Arctic Council. “Kingdom of Denmark’s Chairship, 2025–2027.” https://arctic-council.org/about/kingdom-of-denmarks-chairship-2025-2027/

^[19] Sermitsiaq. “Jeg vil Tale Østgrønlandsk fra Folketingets Talerstol.” 2024. https://www.sermitsiaq.ag/samfund/jeg-vil-tale-ostgronlandsk-fra-folketingets-talerstol/2283746

^[20] International Work Group for Indigenous Affairs (IWGIA). “The Indigenous World 2025: Kalaallit Nunaat (Greenland).” https://iwgia.org/en/kalaallit-nunaat-greenland/5648-iw-2025-kalaallit-nunaat-greenland.html

^[21] International Work Group for Indigenous Affairs (IWGIA). “The Indigenous World 2024: Kalaallit Nunaat (Greenland).” https://iwgia.org/en/kalaallit-nunaat-greenland/5393-iw-2024-kalaallit-nunaat.html

^[22] Sundhedsministeriet. “Antikonceptionspraksis i Kalaallit Nunaat.” PDF report. https://www.ism.dk/Media/638930184996168937/Antikonceptionspraksis-i-Kalaallit-Nunaat-dansk.pdf

^[23] Reuters. “Denmark to Compensate Greenlandic Women for Involuntary Birth Control.” 10 December 2025. https://www.reuters.com/business/healthcare-pharmaceuticals/denmark-compensate-greenlandic-women-involuntary-birth-control-2025-12-10/

^[24] Sermitsiaq. “Offentliggørelse af Spiralrapport Udskydes: Endnu en Brik i Sagen.” 2025. https://www.sermitsiaq.ag/samfund/offentliggorelse-af-spiralrapport-udskydes-endnu-en-brik-i-sagen/2340041

^[25] Regeringen. “Regeringen vil Bekæmpe Racisme og Diskrimination mod Grønlændere i Danmark med 12 Nye Initiativer.” 2024. https://regeringen.dk/aktuelt/nyheder/2024/regeringen-vil-bekaempe-racisme-og-diskrimination-mod-groenlaendere-i-danmark-med-12-nye-initiativer/

^[26] International Work Group for Indigenous Affairs (IWGIA). “The Indigenous World 2024: Kalaallit Nunaat (Greenland).” https://iwgia.org/en/kalaallit-nunaat-greenland/5393-iw-2024-kalaallit-nunaat.html

^[27] Naalakkersuisut. “Særlig Enhed skal Stå for Forældrekompetenceundersøgelser af Grønlandske Familier i Danmark og Brugen af Psykologiske Tests Stoppes.” 2025. https://naalakkersuisut.gl/Nyheder/2025/01/1701_psykologiske_test?sc_lang=da

Tags: Global governance