Inuit delegation in Greenland for opening of Canadian consulate has a message for Trump: 'Back off'
CBC
A delegation of Inuit from Canada is in Greenland for the official opening of the new Canadian consulate in the capital, Nuuk, with a stern message for U.S. President Donald Trump: "Back off."
Those were the words of Susie-Ann Kudluk, vice-president of the Qarjuit Youth Council representing Inuit between the ages of 15 to 35 in Nunavik — the Inuit region in northern Quebec.
"We want to come together in solidarity with Greenland to show our support and to say: That land is not for sale," said Kudluk.
She was one of more than 60 delegates who travelled from Montreal to Nuuk on an Air Inuit charter organized by the Makivvik Corporation, the legal representative of Inuit in Nunavik, to stand with Greenland in the face of Trump's threats.
"The kind of message that I hope it sends is that Inuit, as circumpolar people, we are and have always been in these lands," said Elia Lauzon, a 26-year-old youth delegate from Kuujjuaq, Que.
"The fact that globalization has affected us through colonization, through assimilation efforts repeatedly and we still do everything to connect with each other on a level where we see each other's humanity, we see each other as like people of the same culture — that isn't something that you can just erase from us by putting borders on us."
The delegation was arranged to ensure there would be a strong Inuit presence in attendance at Friday's flag raising ceremony for the Consulate General of Canada.
"We are one people," said Pita Aatami, Makivvik president. "We can work together, but we don't want to be controlled any more. We've been controlled for too long."
Canada is one of the first countries to open a diplomatic mission in Greenland following Trump's threats to have the U.S. take over the self-governing Arctic island, which is part of Denmark — a NATO member.
Foreign Affairs Minister Anita Anand will officially open the new diplomatic post alongside Mary Simon, Canada's first Indigenous Governor General who is Inuk from Nunavik, Carolyn Bennett, Canada's ambassador to the Kingdom of Denmark and Virginia Mearns, Canada's new Arctic ambassador.
The Canadian Coast Guard medium duty icebreaker ship named the CCGS Jean Goodwill will also be in Nuuk for the occasion.
"This is a positive thing that we're trying to do and to show the world Inuit are united and Inuit are very strong and we are a force to be reckoned with," said Adamie Delisle Alaku, executive vice-president in the department of environment, wildlife and research at Makivvik.
Greenland's Minister of Business, Mineral Resources, Justice, Energy and Gender Equality Naaja Nathanielsen, who met with members of the Inuit delegation on Thursday in Nuuk, told CBC News that Greenlanders are feeling very worried, even scared to go to bed because they don’t know what kind of world they’re going to wake up to.
She called the opening of Canada’s consulate in Nuuk well-timed and appreciated.
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