Ilisimasat nalituut (Valuable Knowledge)

Project Spotlight: A podcast series shines light on a new generation of scholars from Greenland.

Indigenous Sovereignty Dän däw Kwenjè uts’an kwäts’eden-ji
From atop a hill, a statue of missionary Hans Egede overlooks the “Old Nuuk” neighbourhood. The monument has the word “DECOLONIZE” and a series of geometric patterns painted on its pedestal in white.

In the podcast series Ilisimasat nalituut (Valuable Knowledge), available in Greenlandic only, recent graduates from the School of Culture, Language and History at Ilisimatusarfik, the University of Greenland in Nuuk, talk about their MA theses within fields such as cultural history, anthropology, archaeology, media studies and linguistics, and give insights into the rich transdisciplinary work of a new generation of scholars from Greenland. 

From atop a hill, a statue of missionary Hans Egede overlooks the “Old Nuuk” neighbourhood. The monument has the word “DECOLONIZE” and a series of geometric patterns painted on its pedestal in white.
PHOTO: EBBE VOLQUARDSEN.

Episode 1

The podcast’s first guest is Aviaq Reimer Olsen, who graduated in 2021 from the Department of Cultural and Social History. Aviaq currently lives in Aasiaat with her husband and children—and she works as a subject coordinator in Qeqertalik Municipality.

Aviaq’s thesis discusses how students starting high school in Nuuk often encounter two different cultures, which can create problems and misunderstandings between the Greenlandic students and their often-Danish teachers.

Episode 2

Podcast guest Ane-Mette Broberg Damgaard submitted her MA thesis in 2020 in the Department of Language, Literature and Media—a thesis she wrote in Greenlandic.

Today, Ane-Mette lives in Nuuk with her husband and children, and she works as an administrator at Oqaasileriffik, the Greenlandic Language Secretariate. Ane-Mette’s thesis is about theatre in Greenland. In this conversation, she describes some of the challenges she faced due to the lack of research articles on and discussions about theatre in the national media.

Episode 3

This podcast episode features Camilla Kleemann-Andersen, who graduated in 2020 from the Department of Language, Literature and Media. Camilla lives in Nuuk with her partner and children—and she is currently working on her PhD thesis at Ilisimatusarfik, the University of Greenland.

In her thesis, Camilla analyzes public debates about the Greenlandic language, and the many emotions involved. Her conclusion: ”If we don’t talk about the emotions that arise around the language debate, and if we don’t talk about the background of those emotions, we won’t get over them.”

Episode 4

The podcast’s fourth guest is Heidi Rosing, who wrote her thesis and graduated from the Department of Language, Literature and Media in 2017. Heidi lives in Nuuk and works on various academic and creative projects—including teaching at Ilisimatusarfik.

In her thesis, Heidi analyzed young people’s opinions on and reactions to the documentary Mumisitsinerup nipaa (Sound of a Revolution), about the famous 1970s political rock band Sumé.

Episode 5

In this episode, we speak with Marianne Jensen, who graduated from the Department of Cultural and Social History in 2020.

In her MA thesis, Marianne examined decision-making processes concerning large infrastructure projects in Greenland during the 1950s and 1960s—a period that has become (in)famous as the so-called modernization period. She asks: “Have Greenlanders been victims of the postcolonial era’s power asymmetries, or have some of the problems that occurred during these years been self-imposed?”

Episode 6

The podcast’s sixth guest is Angutinnguaq Olsen, who graduated from the Department of Cultural and Social History in 2021.

Angutinnguaq lives in Aasiaat and is currently exploring options for his upcoming PhD project. In his MA thesis, Angutinnguaq investigated reindeer hunting in the past and present—and he is the first to have studied the Nassuttoq region in Central Greenland.

Episode 7

Podcast guest Ulunnguaq Markussen submitted her thesis and graduated from the Department of Arctic Social Science in 2019. Today she is a PhD student at Ilisimatusarfik, the University of Greenland. Ulunnguaq Markussen lives in Nuuk with her daughter and partner.

In her MA thesis, Ulunnguaq investigated why the majority of Greenlanders are in favour of an independent Greenlandic state.

Credit: All videos were originally published by Ilisimatusarfik, the University of Greenland

 

Host: Nivi Pedersen

Producer, Editor & Idea: Mudi Kramer Berthelsen

Sound & Music: Fabrizio Barzanti

Project partner at Ilisimatusarfik: Per Arnfjord

 

The podcast series Ilisimasat nalituut is sponsored by:

Naalakkersuisut Cultural Funds

Sermeq pool

Tips & Lotto funds

NunaFonden

 

This story is part of the Greenland Spotlight. View more content from the Spotlight here.