Lessons from Greenland for Us in the USA

Just over four months ago, I was in Greenland. Leading up to the trip, many people jokingly wondered whether Greenland would let those of us from the United States into their country. Perhaps fortunately, we were traveling with Adventure Canada, and we had no issues at all. But I was very aware of how Greenland has become a political football on the world stage under the current US administration.

Due to its strategic location and abundant natural resources, Greenland is coveted by the powerful. It has under 65,000 people (as I’ve discussed previously), the vast majority of them Inuit. The world’s largest island, it only recently (in 2009) became a self-governing territory of Denmark. Greenland doesn’t have the resources or the clout to protect its sovereignty on the world stage, which is the primary reason it is still technically part of Denmark. Threats made over the past year, and even in the past few days, by the US president have only confirmed the wisdom of that choice.

I can’t imagine what it would be like to live in such a powerless country. Living in the USA for most of my life has meant presuming upon the resources and clout of one of the most powerful countries on earth. But these days I’m getting a sense of what it’s like to say, “I don’t agree with 95% of what my country is doing” and “I feel powerless to effect change in my country.”

I’ve watched with interest as Danes have taken to the streets and Greenlanders have taken to social media to make their case for sovereignty. Creative changes to MAGA hats (Make America Go Away) and innovative use of AI both prove that the ingenuity of individuals can make a statement, and statements can make a difference.

Here in the United States, we can also make statements. There are a lot of ingenious memes that spread messages about what our government is doing wrong. Creatives are making their voices heard. We can align with the powerless, in this country and around the world, to get their voices out there. We can also support organizations and individuals that are doing the work.

I invite you to consider how you might support such creative endeavors on behalf of the powerless—and say a prayer for the people of Greenland.