Sophie Marie Korniussen: Owner of Anori Art

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Coming from a place with very few natural resources, Greenlanders have been forced to be very resourceful in order to survive. Despite the landscape’s limitations, native Greenlanders have rich food and art cultures.

Sophie Marie Korniussen is the owner of Anori Art, a small gift shop in Nuuk. The small shop also employs several generations of her family. Her father is an artisan who carves rings and other jewelry out of narwhal tusk, while her grandmother also works in the shop. There are many small family-owned gift shops in Nuuk, with a wide variety of gifts that vary from traditional artisan crafts to more modern art prints.

shopowner talking with guests
Shopie Korniussen talking with people in her shop. Photo courtesy of Jessica McBride.

Proudly displaying the bracelets and other jewelry her father made, Korniussen explains her feelings for her homeland, saying, “I really love Greenland. Even though I was born in Denmark. My mother is Greenlandic, and my father is Greenlandic.”

Narwhal tusks hanging from the ceiling are likely the first things most will notice, while a wide variety of gifts made from seal fur populate the many shelves of the shop. From the walls hang maps of Greenland, as well as charts showcasing native flora and fauna. The back of the shop displays a variety of pelts from native animals, such as musk ox and seal.

Traditional Practices Continue Today

seal pelts on display
Animal pelts that were for sale in the back of Korniussen’s shop. Photo: Layla Czaplewski

Hunting is deeply ingrained in Greenlandic culture. Seal, whale, and reindeer are some of the most popularly hunted animals. Korniussen explains that the meat is then often boiled and served with potatoes, onion, and rice. Having limited access to fresh produce and spices has heavily affected how traditional food is prepared, but the Greenlandic people found ways to survive with what little the natural landscape offered them.

boots and purses made from seal pelts
Bags and boots made from seal fur that were for sale in Korniussen’s shop. Photo: Layla Czaplewski

Korniussen talks about traditional Greenlandic food, saying,” We eat the seal, and we take the skin off and make them into cloths and jackets or bags or wallets. So it’s everything. It’s everything. You don’t waste it. We don’t waste it.”

While Nuuk has many local shops, the main industry is fishing. Fish products are the largest export of Greenland, but its economy is heavily subsidized by Denmark and the European Union. Many Greenlanders have complicated feelings about their relationship with Denmark. Some are happy with the current situation, while others wish for independence but understand the complications that would follow a complete separation.

Independence from Denmark

Expanding on what independence would mean to her, Korniussen says, “It would mean a lot to Greenlandic people. But we’re not ready. But we can be ready if we get all kinds of machines, factories, and all kinds of that. We have only a shrimp
factory and a fish factory. That’s all we have.”

In contrast to their complicated feelings about Denmark, many Greenlanders have a deep sense of pride in their country. While some are born in Denmark, and many have familial ties to the country, they still feel that Greenland is their home.

“We should be independent. Work towards it, build it up. Maybe in 30 years. But there’s a start, right? People want that,” explains Korniussen, regarding gaining independence in the future.

This story is part of a semester-long investigative reporting project into Greenland’s people, history, and culture. It was created by an advanced reporting 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 possible through the support of MPC Endowment Ltd., the philanthropic affiliate of the Milwaukee Press Club, and a private donor.