Letter from Kalaallit Nunaat (Greenland)

Pele Broberg

How do you describe the struggle for independence, in a world where the world’s biggest superpower insists on taking over ownership from another colonial power.

The irony is not lost, when Denmark who annexed Greenland in 1953 instead of following UN decolonization resolution, now proclaims “Greenland belong to the Greenlanders”.

International law is clear. The United Nations recognizes the Greenlandic People as a People with the inherent right to self-determination. That right includes full freedom to decide their political status and to shape their own future as a sovereign nation.

We do not want to be Americans. We do not want to be Danish. We want to be Greenlandic.

This is not a demand for permission. It is a declaration of identity, dignity, and destiny.

And even though it is comforting to hear the support for our people in these trying times, this was never a question about choosing Denmark or the US.

That binary way of looking at former colonies ended with the establishment of the UN. Fear is a powerful tool to prevent change. We need help assuring the Greenlandic People they have nothing to fear. Neither from the US nor Denmark.

The best hope we have for our people, is for the international community to help dial down the rhetoric that only manages to create fear, and let diplomacy work to enable the Greenlandic People determine their own future.

Nor should Danes use these times to try to take away our right to self- determination.

When there is no clear leadership working for establishing independence for the Greenlandic People, but only working to maintain the status quo, it creates uncertainty about our future.

The struggle for independence is difficult when the press and the colonizers insist you should be afraid of words, instead of inaction.

Traitors

The struggle for independence is difficult when the press and the colonizers insist you are traitors to your country, if you don’t support being a part of the Danish Kingdom.

The struggle for independence is difficult when the press and the colonizers claim cry for independence is akin to wanting to give your country to the US.

We are not a territory. We are not lines on a map. We are not numbers.

We are the Greenlandic People. Independence is supposed to be our right.

Pele Broberg is a Greenlandic politician, pilot and entrepreneur who has served as chairman of the Greenlandic political party Naleraq since 2022. He was first elected to the Inatsisartut (the Parliament of Greenland) in 2018 and has held ministerial posts, including Minister of Finance and Minister for Foreign Affairs, Trade, Climate and Business.

Broberg is known for his strong advocacy of Greenlandic independence and has been a prominent voice in debates over Greenland’s political and constitutional relationship with Denmark.

This letter was first published by Yes Cymru