Greenland History | From Ancient Migrations to Modern Autonomy

The first arrivals: Independence I culture

Around 2500 BCE, the first people ventured into Greenland from northern Canada, establishing what archaeologists call the Independence I culture. These earliest Greenland natives spread along the northern coastline down to what's now Northeast Greenland National Park, living in one of the most extreme environments humans have ever inhabited.

Saqqaq culture: Greenland's longest inhabitants

The second wave arrived around 2400 BCE and proved far more resilient. The Saqqaq people, named after the small settlement in Disko Bay where their tools were first discovered, spread from southern Melville Bay around Cape Farewell and up the southeast coast to present-day Ittoqqortoormiit. 

What set the Saqqaq apart was their adaptability. Unlike their predecessors who relied on limited prey, these hunters pursued whales, seals, fish, birds, and land mammals, diversifying their food sources enough to survive for nearly two millennia until around 800 BCE.

Independence II and early Dorset cultures

Around 800 BCE, two new cultures arrived during the third wave of migration. The Independence II people followed the northern coastline into Northeast Greenland, while the early Dorset culture crossed the ice near modern Qaanaaq and moved southward along the west coast, possibly reaching the southern east coast as well.

The Dorset people, named after Cape Dorset in Canada, brought innovations that would prove lasting. They introduced the ulo, that distinctively curved women's knife still used throughout Greenland today for preparing seal meat and other tasks. Large snow knives found at Dorset sites indicate they were likely the first to master igloo construction, a skill that would become synonymous with Arctic survival.

The Norse arrival: Erik the Red's gambit

After what appears to have been an uninhabited period of 800 to 900 years, Greenland witnessed a dramatic fourth wave of immigration around 982 CE. This time, settlers came not from North America but from Iceland and Norway, led by the red-bearded exile Erik Thorvaldsson, better known as Erik the Red.

Banished from Iceland for three years after a series of violent disputes, Erik sailed west based on earlier reports of land sighted by Gunnbjörn Ulfsson. He spent his exile years exploring southwestern Greenland's fjords, identifying sites suitable for Norse settlement. 

Why is Greenland called Greenland?

When he returned to Iceland in 985 CE, he brought stories of a 'green land' he'd discovered, a name carefully chosen to attract settlers to what was largely an ice-covered island.

The marketing worked brilliantly. Twenty-five ships carrying over 400 people, livestock, and supplies set sail in 986 CE. Only fourteen vessels completed the dangerous crossing. The survivors established the Eastern Settlement near modern Qassiarsuk, the Western Settlement further north, and a smaller Middle Settlement. At their peak, these Norse communities supported between 2,500 and 5,000 people across approximately 620 farms.

The Norse economy combined pastoral farming with hunting and fishing. They kept cattle, sheep, and goats for dairy products while hunting caribou, seals, walrus, narwhals, and polar bears. Walrus ivory became their most valuable export to Europe, functioning as currency and providing the trade goods that connected them to Scandinavian markets. 

The Garðar Cathedral, established in 1126, served as the seat of a Roman Catholic diocese, demonstrating how thoroughly these Greenland people had transplanted European civilisation to Arctic shores.

Danish colonization and missionary work

Greenland's Norse ruins became archaeological curiosities by the time Hans Egede, a Norwegian-Danish Lutheran missionary, arrived in 1721. Egede came searching for descendants of Norse settlers he believed might still practice Catholicism or Norse paganism, intending to bring them into the Lutheran fold. Instead, he found only Thule descendants, the native of Greenland populations who had occupied the island for five centuries since the Norse departure.

Though Egede never found his Norse settlers, he established a mission at what's now Nuuk and began converting the Kalaallit Inuit to Christianity. The Danish-Norwegian crown gradually expanded its colonial presence, establishing trading posts and asserting sovereignty over the island. Danish merchants secured monopolies on trade, controlling what goods entered and left Greenland.

The colonial period brought devastating consequences for Greenlandic people. In 1733, smallpox arrived with returning Inuit converts who'd been sent to Copenhagen for the coronation of Christian VI. The disease ravaged communities with no immunity, killing significant portions of the population. 

Throughout the 18th and 19th centuries, Danish policies increasingly sought to assimilate Inuit culture, suppressing traditional shamanic practices and imposing Lutheran Christianity.

Yet Danish colonisation wasn't entirely destructive. Moravian missionaries learned Kalaallisut extensively and published works preserving the language. Scientists like Otto Fabricius conducted important studies of Greenland's flora, fauna, and meteorology. Democratic elections for district assemblies began in 1862, though decisions remained firmly under Copenhagen's control.

World War II and the path to autonomy

World War II marked a turning point in Greenland history. When Nazi Germany invaded Denmark in 1940, Greenland became socially and economically disconnected from Danish control and informally connected to the United States, which established military bases on the island. This period demonstrated that Greenland could function independently of direct Danish administration.

After the war, Denmark resumed control, but converted Greenland's status from a colony to an overseas county in 1953. This provided Greenlanders with representation in the Danish parliament but didn't address growing desires for self-governance. Throughout the 1970s, Greenlandic political movements gained strength, advocating for greater autonomy and recognition of Inuit rights.

In 1979, Greenland achieved home rule, transferring many governmental responsibilities from Copenhagen to Nuuk. The 2009 Self-Government Act went further, recognising Greenlanders as a distinct people under international law and granting expanded control over natural resources, education, health, and other areas. Greenland also left the European Economic Community in 1985, asserting its independence from European institutions it had joined only as part of Denmark.

Experience the history firsthand with Secret Atlas

Reading about Greenland's layered history is one thing. Standing in the ruins of Norse farms where families once struggled against the Little Ice Age, visiting Inuit settlements where traditional hunting practices continue after thousands of years, and seeing the archaeological sites that mark humanity's earliest Arctic presence is something else entirely.

Our Greenland expeditions carry a maximum of 12 guests, creating the intimate atmosphere where history comes alive through genuine connection rather than rushed photo stops. Your expert guides know these sites personally, understand the archaeological evidence, and can explain how climate change 700 years ago mirrors what's happening today.