106
Arctic Yearbook 2015
where identity is believed to be a static essence, while others subscribe to a more dynamic and civicnational perception of what it means to be a Greenlander (ibid.) (cf. figure 1). When zooming in on
the domestic political debates concerning protection of language, the often-used term ‘nonGreenlandic speaking Greenlander’ reveals that language cannot be used as demarcation line between
Greenlander/non-Greenlander (ibid.). If a Greenlander does not speak Greenlandic, the person is
merely perceived as a Greenlander with a flaw (cf. Gad 2005). Similar nuances appear when
parliamentary climate debates are included in the analysis as higher temperatures represent a paradox
because they, on the one hand, constitute an existential threat to the hunting traditions while they, on
the other hand, help to diversify fishing opportunities and improve the accessibility for mining and
hydrocarbon extraction. The unanimous support for the parliamentary motion regarding a territorial
exclusion for Greenland in the Kyoto Protocol’s second commitment period (EM2013/109) indicates
that the endeavour for new significant economic profits – necessary if future independence shall be
realised – is favoured even if it may compromise culturally important hunting traditions and the
environment. In this way, the current dominating collective identity narrative in Greenland contains
an immanent tension between tradition and modernity, as it has done throughout history.
Figure 1: Greenland’s political parties’ identity perception and preferable future relation to Denmark.
Partii Inuit is marked with a dashed line to show that the party is no longer present in Inatsisartut.
Cultural protection and demands for development through foreign relations
Based on the exemplary historic analyses showing how the Greenlandic language, hunting traditions
and a particular intimate relation to nature have been highlighted as central cultural components in
the dominating collective identity narrative, the focus will now be narrowed down to the question of
how these components have been articulated internationally since the introduction of selfgovernment. When doing this, it is relevant to look at whether these components have been securitised
The Power of Collective Identity Narration