Greenland Renewed: National Geographic Travel
How Greenlanders preserve their heritage through kayaking
CLOAKED IN SEALSKIN suits, a flock of kayakers cuts across a steely expanse of frigid water. A close observer might catch signs of modernity in the vessels’ construction and the kayakers’ attire, but from a distance, the image appears timeless.
National Geographic Travel has just published my story on reclaiming Inuit heritage in Greenland through traditional kayaking. It’s a story that’s been close to my heart for a long time because I am also a traditional kayak-builder and have long run a traditional kayaking business as well as being a photographer.
After returning from working on a downer of a story on suicide, I found myself in Greenland only to find my spirits uplifted by what the Greenlanders have achieved in their communities. Despite centuries of colonization that has visited horrors upon Greenland’s Inuit population, Greenland is forging ahead with a new and unified national identity.
But I wouldn’t say it’s been easy. Greenland had an anti-colonial revolution in the late 1970s that pushed it achieve self-rule from Denmark. Today’s modern thriving economy and high standards of living are directly the result of farseeing elders and the hard work of the Greenlandic community.
You can find also more images from my Greenland Renewed project. Thanks to writer Abby Sewell for lending her empathy and writing talents to this story, and photo editor Jeff Heimsath for his compassionate eye.
March 20, 2023 @ 1:25 pm
That final photo of the iceberg with the arch is just breathtaking O_O I also loved learning about the tuiliq, which sounds a lot like the dry suits scuba-divers wear!