Special Projects

In the height of World War II, Denmark was invaded and conquered by the Nazis, making the Danes unable to help and supply Greenlanders for four years, according to Dr. Mary Thompson-Jones. During that time, the U.S. “kept the Greenlandic people supplied, kept sending food, kept sending other supplies of material during the course of […]

The education in Greenland has drastically changed since the country gained home rule in 1979, with the Greenland Home Rule Act referendum. Associate Professor Naja Trondhjem of the University of Copenhagen in Denmark was able to witness that change firsthand. Trondhjem is an associate professor of Greenlandic and Arctic Studies in the department of Cross-Cultural […]

President Donald Trump’s recent interest in Greenland has stirred fear, stress and betrayal in the Arctic island, according to Dr. Frank Sejersen. Denmark is an important ally to the United States, and Trump’s desire for Greenland has created a frenzy of diplomatic discussions and strained global relationships. Greenland’s strategic location and mineral rich land make […]

Fishing is one of the oldest traditions in Greenland, going back centuries. Many Greenlanders still depend on fishing for their daily survival, and some hope to share this long-standing tradition with the rest of the world. Casper Frank Moller is the CEO and co-founder of Raw Arctic, a Greenland-based fishing/tourism company based in Nuuk. The […]

Dr. Shale Horowitz said in the race to the Arctic between superpowers, the United States, China, and Russia, the U.S. is playing “catch-up,” while China and Russia have had a presence in the Arctic in the past. “Russia, for a long time, has made this a major priority, plowed a lot of resources into it,” […]

NUUK, Greenland — Greenland has a much deeper culture and history than what is being portrayed in the media, and Aqqalu Jensen, an Inuit fisherman, spoke about what makes his homeland so impressive. From the people to the way of life, he talked about what it means to be Greenlandic. Jensen grew up in a […]

What many people see as a giant ice sheet in North America actually encompasses a deep spiritual and cultural history. Greenland is home to the world’s largest ethnic population, the Greenlandic Inuit. Of Greenland’s approximately 58,000 inhabitants, about 88% of them are Inuit. Archaeological records show that the Inuit made Greenland their home about four […]

For centuries, fishing has been a central part of Greenland’s culture, and it remains the country’s largest industry. However, increased global interest has sparked an interest in diversifying their economy beyond fishing. Local fisherman Casper Moller describes the connection between fishing and the local culture, saying, “We go out and catch our own cod, or […]

Svend Jensen is Inuit with Danish heritage from his mother’s side of the family. Like Jensen, most people Media Milwaukee spoke to in Greenland are of Danish descent, revealing how interconnected Greenland and Denmark are. “I am very proud of being a Greenlandic person,” Jensen said. “But most of the rules are made by the […]

Student Journalists Layla Czaplewski Olivia Davis Shannon Knowski Colby Lamb Instructor Jessica McBride Digital Media Specialist Jeff Loomis This story is part of a semester-long investigative reporting project into Greenland’s people, history, and culture. It was created by an immersion journalism class in the Journalism, Advertising, and Media Studies program at UW-Milwaukee. Other stories from […]

This story is part of a semester-long investigative reporting project into Greenland’s people, history, and culture. It was created by an immersion journalism class in the Journalism, Advertising, and Media Studies program at UW-Milwaukee. Other stories from the project are available on Edge of the Arctic: Greenland, the Land of the People. This work was made […]

As co-founders of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) in 1949, the United States and Denmark have had an anomalous relationship; however, a multi-generational relationship has been put to the test as United States President Donald Trump made the latest of three total attempts by the U.S. to acquire Greenland from Denmark early into his […]