Greenland Reconciliation Commission finds colonization did 'a lot of damage'

The Greenland Reconciliation Commissionreleased its final reportlast month after three years of research andpublic outreach.

The commission, launched in 2014 to investigate human rights abuses against Inuit in Greenland, stirred controversy as leaders in the Danish government denounced it and said it wouldn't take part. Denmark was a former colonial ruler of Greenland.

The reportreleased on Dec. 8 is only available in Danish and Kalaalisut, a dialect of theGreenlandic language.It examined the role the Greenland government played in colonialism.

"[It looks at] howdo we, as Greenlanders, reconcile with ourselves," saysKarlaJessenWilliamson, a member with distinction on the commission and anInukwho grew up in Greenland, but now lives in Canada.

The commission found that colonization of Inuit in Greenland had"done a lot of damage," says Williamson.

Colonial policies the commission looked at included the widespread practice of payingnon-Inuitworkers higher wages than local people, the relocation of entire families from their traditional lands into settlements, and separating children from their parents, sending them away to Denmark for schooling.

"We were treated very, very badly," said Williamson, who says her own family wasrelocated.

Williamson also said the issue has now become "internalized" for the people.For instance, the commission found the young and old participate in thepractice of"mobbing"where Inuit exert social pressure on each other based on differences in dialects or forbeing tooInukor notInukenough, says Williamson.

The Commission outlined 11 recommendations for the Government of Greenland, including the building of a knowledge centre to help collect and promote an Inuit-centred history of Greenland.

It also called forGreenland's government to give official apologies to the children who were once sent away to Denmark and to the people that have been relocated.

Applicable to Inuit in Canada, says Williamson

Williamson says much of the commission's work and findings are applicable to Inuit in Canada.

"Inuit all across the Arctic have experienced the same thing: very rapid societal and cultural change, and a lot of it was pushed from the outside," she said.

"And although we can finger point at these governing people, it's also important to look at ourselves."

For Williamson, the commission's final report represents an important and necessary step towarda fully independent Greenlandic state.

"We are trying to figure out as people, as a nation, how we can come to terms with the problems that we have but at the same time create space for ourselves in history," she said.

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