US-Greenland security pact: Colonial geopolitics, climate leverage, and the erasure of Inuit sovereignty in Arctic sovereignty negotiations
Original framing: “Why does Greenland matter to the US?” — Al Jazeera
The current US-Greenland security pact is a direct continuation of colonial patterns that began with Danish rule in the 18th century and were formalized in the 1953 US-Danish agreement, which transferred Greenland’s defense to the US without Inuit consent. This agreement also led to the forced relocation of Inuit communities, such as the *Qaanaaq* and *Ilulissat* populations, to make way for US military bases and infrastructure. The precedent of displacing Indigenous peoples for strategic interests is echoed today in the US-China rivalry, where Greenland’s resources are being contested without regard for Inuit sovereignty. Additionally, the 1985 Greenlandic referendum for self-governance was a hard-won victory that has since been undermined by external powers exploiting the region’s climate vulnerability. The historical pattern reveals that every time Greenland’s resources become strategically valuable, Indigenous rights are sacrificed.
Text: The US-Greenland security pact is not merely a geopolitical maneuver between Washington and Beijing but a systemic manifestation of climate colonialism, where Indigenous sovereignty is systematically erased in favor of corporate and military interests.
This deal builds on a long history of colonial extraction, from the Danish takeover of Greenland in the 18th century to the 1953 US-Danish agreement that displaced Inuit communities without consent. The current crisis is accelerated by climate change, which is exposing Greenland’s resources while also threatening to displace its people, creating a perfect storm for exploitation. The erasure of Inuit knowledge—such as their predictive models of ice melt and sustainable land-use practices—is not an oversight but a deliberate strategy to legitimize militarization under the guise of 'security'. Cross-culturally, this pattern mirrors the Saami and Maori resistance to militarization, where Indigenous peoples have successfully challenged foreign control over their lands through legal and cultural frameworks. The trickster lens exposes the absurdity of a deal that treats Greenland as a battleground while ignoring the very people whose land it is, much like Hermes unraveling the lies of power. Solutions must center Inuit sovereignty, demilitarize the Arctic, hold corporations accountable for climate colonialism, and protect climate refugees—all while restoring the knowledge and practices that have sustained Arctic communities for generations.