Saddened by the discourse online about Greenland

Ask before you comment

Let’s learn from each other

I have made a commitment to not get into politics online and in writing. There’s no good that will come from it.

However, what is so disturbing to me is how short sighted and biased so many of the comments are. Most people know nothing about Greenland and Arctic Indigenous Peoples - their history and their struggles. How we got where we are today.

There aren’t a lot of Hollywood productions about it - yet. It’s not taught in history courses. People don’t know and if you don’t know where to look, you’ll never know the truth and the Kalaallit side of the story.

Kalaallit are not loud. Their strength is quiet, almost like a whisper. But when there is so much noise going on, it’s hard to hear those whispers.

The struggle of the Kalaallit is very similar to the struggle of my people, African Americans. Although I’m only half Black, I have been mistreated because of my gender and race throughout my post college adult life. That’s one of the reasons I identify so strongly with Greenland and majority population that is a minority in the realm to which their country belongs.

The only difference between our struggles is that they had a cultural identity - even though there were attempts to suppress it like many colonized Indigenous peoples - and we were deprived of one because of slavery. I know nothing beyond 23andMe about where my ancestors came from and their cultures. That was taken from me.

When you want to comment and discuss something about which you know nothing, please consult people in the know. There are plenty of Greenlanders that can speak on Reddit or Facebook to enlighten you on what they’ve experienced and how we got to where we are today. Most people only see symptoms and not the cause. It’s such a shame.