Child of the Arctic

19/09/2026

I am proud of my East Greenlandic heritage.

I grew up in Nuuk and, in many ways, I am a city girl. Sometimes I wonder if East Greenland would even claim me.

But I feel a strong connection to my mother’s East Greenlandic roots.

Through old photographs, I have been given the opportunity to meet some of my ancestors:

Kûitse (Kuuitse) (1876–1932) – my ancestor, a prominent polar bear and seal hunter, kayaker and drum singer. He carried three scars on his chest from a fight with a polar bear, and wore amulet bracelets around his arms.

Kajâtilik (Kajaatsilik) (1872–1935) – my ancestor and Kûitse’s wife. She was later baptized Theodosia. In the photograph, she is standing by a tent in Qinngeq, with a child peeking out from her amaat – the traditional back carrier.

Simigaq Ardile (1844–?) – my ancestor and mother of, among others, Kûitse. She was photographed in front of a skin tent in Qinngeq.

Kunnak Eqeeqqu (1849–1913) – an angakkoq and drum dancer from Toqqutta. In the photograph, he is showing his son how to count to six using his fingers.

When I look at their faces, more than 100 years of history suddenly feels very close.

And this is one of the reasons cultural storytelling and communication mean so much to me.

I believe we owe something to the people who came before us: to keep telling their stories. So that they do not simply become old photographs in an archive, but remain people we remember, learn from and carry with us.

We can draw threads between the past and the present. Take what we have inherited and carry it forward in our own way.

I think that is what Elle Leontiev has done so beautifully with this portrait of me. She has woven my present together with my cultural heritage – with flowers, colours, patterns and elements from my Greenlandic background. It gives me a little Frida Kahlo feeling: allowing identity, heritage and art to exist within the same image.

I may be a city girl from Nuuk.
But my roots reach deep into the mountains of East Greenland.

And how could I not be proud of that?

Portrait of me and artistic interpretation: ELLE LEO | Sony Open Photographer Of The Year 2026
Historical photographs: Arktiske Billeder, including photographs by Jette Bang

08/09/2026

I’m a cultural communicator, and I’m passionate about sharing Greenland in Denmark. But why is it actually so important?

Right now, I’m a host mum to a Greenlandic girl attending a Danish boarding school. She has experienced racist comments from other young people – comments that were later explained with: “It was just a joke.”

But since when did that become an excuse?

I went to a Danish boarding school myself in 2004, and even back then, Greenlandic young people could be shouted at or spoken to in a degrading way because of where they came from.

That we still experience this in 2026 is something I think we need to stop and reflect on.

And this is not only about Greenland. It is about all the people living in Denmark who have roots somewhere else in the world. People with different skin colours, languages, religions, cultures and histories.

We don’t know what children hear at home. We don’t know what attitudes they encounter around the dinner table. But school is a place where we can give them something else: knowledge, perspectives and the tools to understand people they may not otherwise meet.

We shouldn’t expect children and young people to automatically know where the line is. We need to teach them.

We need to talk about what is okay to say. About the difference between humour and discrimination. And about how a “joke” can feel to the person on the receiving end.

That is why I believe cultural education should be a natural part of both primary schools and boarding schools – including when it comes to Greenland.

Not only as history, geography or something exotic far up north. But as a natural part of the Denmark we live in.

This is also why I give talks, workshops and presentations about Greenland to children, young people and adults.

Because I believe that meeting a person can often open a door that a textbook cannot.

Perhaps preventing racism begins in the classroom. In the conversation. In meeting the other.

We speak to one another with respect. No matter where we come from.

12/08/2026

Greenlandic traditions. Why do I keep holding on to them?

I honestly don’t know. I’ll tell myself, “I don’t have the energy for this. I’m not going to do it this year.” And then somehow, my brain goes on autopilot. I make a Facebook event, invite people, and suddenly… I’m doing it anyway.

The week before, I’ll think about all the preparing, cleaning and shopping and wonder why I do this to myself. And then the night before, I’ll find myself making a headband for my daughter to match her Greenlandic traditional clothing — because I’m so happy that she actually wants one.

I’m incredibly proud of my Greenlandic heritage. Life for my grandparents in East Greenland was hard. It was a live-or-die kind of existence. Compared to the life they lived, I live like a queen.

I can’t imagine not honouring the legacy they left me. I’m so proud that we can still wear the Greenlandic traditional clothing my mother made many years ago. My own is from when I was a teenager — the sleeves are a little tight now, and some of the glass beads need repairing, but my mother made it with room for me to grow.

And now I get to watch my own children wear their heritage too.

Of course I’m going to celebrate my daughter’s first day of school. Of course I’m going to open our home and invite people in.

Because my ancestors survived it all so that we could be here. So that we could live, grow, celebrate, and pass something beautiful on to the next generation.

Maybe tradition isn’t always something you choose.

Maybe sometimes, it’s something that lives in you.

And sometimes, carrying your heritage forward is simply making a headband for your daughter the night before her first day of school — and feeling incredibly proud that she gets to wear it.

07/08/2026

Do you ever think back to moments from your teenage years? This one pops up every now and then 😂😂

22/07/2026

En lille artikel om min maskedans.
Det er gratis at lave en bruger så man kan læse artiklen 🤩

We may request cookies to be set on your device. We use cookies to let us know when you visit our websites, how you interact with us, to enrich your user experience, and to customize your relationship with our website.

21/06/2026

Just kidding. I survived.. …or did I? Gaaasp
Also, were you also told this lie? And why did we believe it? How would it make sense? 😂

21/06/2026

Happy National Day, Greenland.

Today I had the pleasure of performing Greenlandic mask dance and taking photos at the Greenlandic House in Aarhus.

Living away from Greenland has taught me that you can leave home, but home never really leaves you. My heart will always belong to Greenland, and days like today make me feel both grateful and a little homesick.

Qujanaq. Happy National Day.

Thank you to Kristina Møldrup Sall for helping me capture these photos from today’s performance

15/06/2026

Some photographs feel like a breath.

I often move through life so quickly that I lose touch with myself. But when I pause, I realise that I am finding my way home again.

Life is both heavy and beautiful. I carry scars, experience, and longing with me, and still, I choose gentleness.

And maybe that’s what I feel most deeply right now:

That I feel lucky.

Lucky to be here. Right now. In this life.

Even on the days when it hurts a little and I feel all alone in this world. But after a good cry, and a talk with people in here, who reach out, I know that I’m not ❤️.

Thank you to Jenni • klar & echt for capturing these wonderful photos ❤️

19/05/2026

Welcome to day one of Bumle Bo — the little garden I bought to create beautiful memories with my kids.

The name Bumle Bo comes from “bumble” and the fact that the garden is very bumpy… basically the perfect little place for me.

Today I tried planting a few things — let’s see how it turns out.

I’ll be sharing updates along the way, and I’m also looking into getting permission to build a tiny cabin here someday. 🤩

18/05/2026

I own my very own garden!

I was supposed to move. I found an apartment, and after saying yes to renting it, I woke up the next morning with a feeling that I just couldn’t do it. At least not right now.

So instead, I bought a garden that the kids and I can enjoy this summer.

I was talking to my brother about all the amazing memories we have from our childhood vacation house, and how much I wish I could give my kids something similar. But with my budget being limited, I felt like I couldn’t afford it.

That’s when I thought about searching for a “kolonihave” — an allotment garden. Some of them have small houses, this one doesn’t, BUT I’m hoping I can get permission to build something!

So if anyone has any great advice, let me know.

My dream is to build a small, simple cottage straight out of Astrid Lindgren’s universe. Nothing fancy, just super cozy and adorable.

Can’t wait to share updates from here 🥹