Greenland

Greenland, an island nation in the far North Atlantic region, is the most sparsely populated territory in the world (about 56,000 inhabitants). Globalization has brought Greenland out of geographical isolation through global economy, communication, human mobility, and the media. In recent decades, the indigenous cultural and religious practices have been revitalized to counterbalance the social influence of the Danish culture and language. Up to the present, Greenland has remained largely unaffected by the transnational flows of global migration due to its geographical remoteness and harsh arctic or subarctic climatic conditions.

A typical Greenlandic community is small. Most of the population are ethnic Inuit, and a minority are of Danish (about 12%) or of mixed Danish and Inuit descent. Two thirds of the population are Evangelical Lutherans, the rest are mostly Christian minorities—Catholics, Pentecostals, Jehovah's Witnesses, and Seventh-Day Adventists. [Page 483]Several hundreds of Baha'is form the largest non-Christian minority.

The Inuit (“humans” or “people” in Inuit language) are the indigenous inhabitants of Greenland (Kalaallit Nunaat). The Inuit tribes started to settle down in the coastal areas of north Greenland as early as 2500 BCE, but they were converted to Christianity only during the 18th century.

Until 1721, when the Danish colonization and Christianization of the Inuit began, the Inuit were living in a hunter-and-gatherer culture. Pre-Christian Greenland Inuit culture included the practice of polygamy, animistic beliefs, and shamans, who acted as mediators between this world and the supernatural world. Christianization undermined the social position of shamans, discouraged the practice of polygamy, but did not interfere with the traditional productive lifestyle (seal hunt).

In the 20th century, the Greenlandic communities experienced rapid modernization. Scattered communities of seal hunters and fishermen living in mostly turf dwellings were turned into an urbanizing postindustrial society with raised living standards and improved health care and education but also dependent on the global market.

Since 1979, when Greenland was granted Home Rule from Denmark, Greenlandic Inuit have been striving for political autonomy and for the revitalization of their distinct cultural heritage. The process of indigenization of Evangelical Lutheranism started already in the 19th century with the emergence of Inuit clergy, bibles, hymns, and religious services. Since 1979, there has also been a revival of some pre-Christian traditions (ice fishing, dogsled races) and beliefs, especially those connected with hunting and fishing. At present, Greenlandic Lutheranism, which still is a part of Denmark's Evangelical Lutheran Church, is planning to become an independent Church of Greenland.

In 2009, the Greenlandic language was elevated to the status of the sole national language. The Danish language ceased to be an official language, which demonstrates the growing self-assertion of the Inuit culture over the Danish. Greenlandic Inuits are linguistically and culturally close to other Inuit communities in Canada (Nunavut), Alaska, and Chukotka in the Russian Federation.