Meeting Contemporary Greenland with Naja Hendriksen

What happens when a language is discouraged from being spoken, and what does it mean to hear those words spoken again?

Growing up with a Greenlandic Inuk father whose generation was encouraged to leave their language and culture behind, Naja Hendriksen has seen how history lives on in families, identities and everyday life. Today, she has the privilege of teaching the very language her father was discouraged from speaking.

Through personal stories from her own family and community, this talk offers a contemporary Greenlandic perspective on language, identity and cultural resilience. Rather than viewing Greenland through statistics or headlines, we will meet the people behind the history: stories of loss, adaptation, hope and the ongoing work of strengthening culture and community across Greenland today.

The talk explores how language carries much more than words. It carries history, humour, relationships and ways of understanding the world. It also asks what role the rest of us can play in helping Indigenous languages and cultures flourish.

The session includes a short interactive introduction to Greenlandic, where participants will learn a few everyday words and phrases. Together, we will reflect on how even small acts of curiosity and respect can help build understanding between cultures.

The aim is for visitors to leave not only knowing a little more about Greenland, but feeling a genuine connection to its people and their stories.

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