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No one owns our Arctic land, we share it, say Greenland’s Inuit

This article is more than 2 months old

Greenland and its people were thrust into the global spotlight last year when Trump revived his demand that the US take control of the island for national security and to access its abundant mineral resources. For the Inuit people, who have lived here for centuries, no one owns the Arctic land

Lights illuminate the village of Kapisillit, Greenland. Photograph: Marko Đurica/Reuters

Photography by Marko Đurica/Reuters, reporting and writing by Jacob Gronholt-Pedersen

Sun 8 Feb 2026 08.00 CET

Children go sledding on a snow-covered slope outside their school in Kapisillit, Greenland. — The concept that ownership is shared collectively is central to the Inuit identity and has survived 300 years of colonisation. It is written into law, people can own houses, but not the land beneath them. William (right), 8, Malerak (centre), 7, and Viola, 7, go sledding during recess, outside their school in Kapisillit, GreenlandPhotograph: Marko Đurica/Reuters
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An aerial view of the Nuuk fjord, Greenland. — An aerial view of the Nuuk fjord. Nearly 90% of Greenland’s 57,000 population are indigenous Inuit, who have inhabited the island continuously for about 1,000 yearsPhotograph: Marko Đurica/Reuters
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Kapisillit’s catechist Kaaleeraq Ringsted, 74, lights candles inside the village church. A large wooden crucifix hang on a white wall above a table with candles. — Kapisillit’s catechist Kaaleeraq Ringsted, 74, lights candles inside the village church. “We can’t even buy our own land ourselves, but Trump wants to buy it – that’s so strange to us,” said Ringsted. “Since childhood, I have been used to the idea that you can only rent land.”Photograph: Marko Đurica/Reuters
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The settlement’s grocery store is full of everyday produce and shopping trolleys — The settlement boasts a grocery store, a school and a service house where residents can shower and wash clothes. A small emergency room holds basic medical suppliesPhotograph: Marko Đurica/Reuters
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Danish teacher Vanilla Mathiassen teaches William, 8, Malerak, 7, and Viola, 7, the only remaining students, using a map of Greenland printed in 1954, inside a classroom at the school in Kapisillit — Danish teacher Vanilla Mathiassen teaches William, 8, Malerak, 7, and Viola, 7, the only remaining students, using a map of Greenland printed in 1954, inside a classroom at the school in Kapisillit. “People here are interested in the day that is coming. Is there food in the fridge? Fine, then I can sleep a little longer. If there is no food, then I will go out and catch fish or go out and shoot a reindeer,” said Mathiassen, who has worked in towns and villages across Greenland for 13 yearsPhotograph: Marko Đurica/Reuters
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The village notice board displayed in Kapisillit is mostly empty with lots of old, rusted staples, which used to hold notices — The village notice board displayed in KapisillitPhotograph: Marko Đurica/Reuters
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Heidi Lennert Nolso, the village leader, stands next to a red building with a snow covered slope and water in the background — “We’ve always had a free life here in nature,” said Heidi Lennert Nolso, the village leader. “We can sail and go anywhere without restrictions.” But she added: “There’s a risk the settlement could die. People are getting old.”Photograph: Marko Đurica/Reuters
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The Nuuk fjord near Kapisillit. Snowy mountains and water — The Nuuk fjord near KapisillitPhotograph: Marko Đurica/Reuters
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Villagers ride on a quad bike in Kapisillit. — Villagers ride on a quad bike in KapisillitPhotograph: Marko Đurica/Reuters
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Inuit people see themselves as temporary guardians of the land. — Inuit people see themselves as temporary guardians of the landPhotograph: Marko Đurica/Reuters
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A Greenlandic hare hangs outside a house in Kapisillit. — A Greenlandic hare hangs outside a house in KapisillitPhotograph: Marko Đurica/Reuters
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The church bell hangs in Kapisillit. — The Kapisillit church bellPhotograph: Marko Đurica/Reuters
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Kristiane Josefsen working with sealskin to sell in Nuuk for national costumes. — At its peak Kapisillit had nearly 500 residents, said Kristiane Josefsen, born in 1959. Today it has 37. Josefsen, a lifelong resident of the village, works with sealskin – washing, processing and scraping it to sell in Nuuk for national costumes. “Scraping sealskins is very hard on the body,” she said. But though she plans to retire this year, she does not intend to leave. “I’m staying here. I belong here,” she said. “This is my land. Greenland is my land.”Photograph: Marko Đurica/Reuters
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Seagulls cluster around a fishing boat, seen from above — Seagulls cluster around a fishing boatPhotograph: Marko Đurica/Reuters
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Fisherman Aslak Wilhelm Jensen, 50, cleans a cod on his boat, docked in Kapisillit. There is another man in the boat with him — Fisherman Aslak Wilhelm Jensen (left), 50, cleans a cod on his boat, docked in Kapisillit. Here, the focus is on survival. There are fewer hunters and fishermen now, as the pull of education, jobs and services has drawn people away from the settlement in recent decadesPhotograph: Marko Đurica/Reuters
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A fishing boat sails in Kapisillit. — A fishing boat sails in KapisillitPhotograph: Marko Đurica/Reuters
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Johannes Hansen poses with his hunting rifle. — Johannes Hansen poses with his hunting riflePhotograph: Marko Đurica/Reuters
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The aurora borealis, also known as the “northern lights”, illuminates the sky over homes in Kapisillit. — The aurora borealis, also known as the northern lights, illuminates the sky over homes in KapisillitPhotograph: Marko Đurica/Reuters
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The small pier in the village, several people walk along it and a few small boats surround it — The small pier is the lifeline, where the weekly boat brings supplies from Nuuk, and from which fishermen and hunters set out for seal, halibut, cod and reindeerPhotograph: Marko Đurica/Reuters
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New holiday homes built along the bay for wealthy Nuuk residents, seen from above — New holiday homes, some with outdoor hot tubs, have been built along the bay for wealthy Nuuk residents. They stand empty and shuttered in winterPhotograph: Marko Đurica/Reuters
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