Greenland’s Reconciliation Commission and the Production of National Narratives

• Main Author: Zinna, Alison
• Format: Other/Unknown Material
• Language: English
• Published: Lunds universitet/Europastudier 2016
• Subjects: Denmark; Greenland; reconciliation commission; narrative; post-colonial studies; identity; Social Sciences; Cultural Sciences; greenlandic
• Online Access: http://lup.lub.lu.se/student-papers/record/8875319

Greenland is a former colony of Denmark and today remains part of the Danish Realm. The Greenlandic Reconciliation Commission, which began working in 2014, represents an effort by Greenland to come to terms with its recent history while its government simultaneously pursues the economic growth needed for greater independence from Denmark. The existence of this commission and the debate that has ensued about its approach and composition reflect multiple visions of the world – sometimes competing, sometimes overlapping – and Greenland’s place in it. Notably, the commission has proceeded without Denmark’s participation, suggesting a distinctive approach to the reconciliation process. Drawing on interviews conducted in Greenland and Denmark and primary source documents, this research project presents a case study of the commission and an analysis of the national identity narratives that are evoked in stories told about the reconciliation commission. The four themes that emerged – Greenland as victim; Greenland as historical project; Greenland as unity-in-progress; Greenland as sovereign actor – are illuminating for understanding the national identity building efforts as part of Greenland's path forward.