Indigenous Rights and Inuit Self-Determination

The rights of Greenland’s predominantly Inuit population represent a crucial moral dimension that President Trump’s annexation campaign appears to completely disregard, raising fundamental questions about indigenous self-determination and whether external powers can legitimately impose territorial control over indigenous peoples without consent. International human rights frameworks specifically protect indigenous self-determination, creating legal as well as moral obligations to respect Greenlandic preferences.
The Greenlandic people are primarily of Inuit descent, with cultural traditions and governance structures that have adapted to the Arctic environment over thousands of years. The 2009 Self-Government Act explicitly recognized Greenlanders as “a people pursuant to international law” with rights to self-determination, formalizing legal protections for indigenous decision-making authority over their territory. This recognition creates international legal obligations to respect Greenlandic choices about their political status.
Historical experiences of colonialism create particular sensitivity around sovereignty and self-determination issues for indigenous Arctic peoples. While Denmark’s relationship with Greenland has evolved significantly toward genuine partnership and autonomy, historical colonial dynamics shape contemporary Greenlandic aspirations for increased self-governance. Trump’s annexation campaign represents a new form of external imposition that disregards indigenous preferences in favor of American resource and strategic interests.
The United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, while not legally binding, represents international consensus that indigenous peoples have rights to self-determination, participation in decisions affecting their lands, and protection against forced relocation or cultural destruction. Trump’s annexation campaign, if pursued through force or extreme pressure, would violate these principles by imposing external control over an indigenous population that has clearly expressed opposition through their elected representatives.
Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen has consistently emphasized respecting Greenlandic self-determination in any decisions about the territory’s future status. Greenland Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen, speaking for the indigenous population, demanded Trump cease his pressure campaign. European nations unified in support, affirming that only Greenland and Denmark possess authority over territorial decisions. Trump’s disregard for indigenous self-determination represents not merely a diplomatic problem with Denmark but a fundamental violation of indigenous rights principles that international law and moral standards require respecting.