The prime minister of Denmark apologized for the forced contraception of thousands of Indigenous women in Greenland dating back to the 1960s. The Danish government is also ending problematic parent competency tests associated with disproportionately high numbers of babies being taken away from Indigenous mothers. Both milestones come as Greenland — an autonomous territory of Danish rule — is making strides toward independence. The Trump administration has also made public comments about exerting U.S. control over the mineral-rich territory occupied almost entirely by Indigenous Inuit residents. We’ll talk with Greenlanders about how these developments address Denmark’s complicated past and what remains to be done.

GUESTS

Najannguaq Hegelund, chair for SILA 360

Johannes Geisler (Inuk), Greenlandic parent

Aki-Matilda Høegh-Dam, Member of the Parliament of Greenland

Ujammiugaq Engell, museum director for the Nuuk Local Museum

Break 1 Music: Ikitaa (song) PIQSIQ (artist)

Break 2 Music: Hug Room (song) Chuck Copenace (artist) Oshki Manitou (album)

Thursday, December 18, 2025 — Amid Greenland’s independence push, Denmark accounts for colonial blunders