Recommendations of the Editorial team
Björk shared a message of solidarity with the people of Greenland, after Donald Trump and his government had again threatened to take over the country after Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro was captured.
Greenland, Denmark and colonial continuities
“I wish all Greenlanders blessings in their fight for independence,” Björk wrote on Instagram on Monday (January 5). She added: “Colonialism has always sent cold shivers down my spine, and the idea that my fellow Greenlanders could switch from one cruel colonizer to another is too brutal to even imagine. ‘Úr öskunni í eldinn’, as we say in Icelandic.” (The expression means: “From the ashes into the fire.”)
Although the Icelandic musician was clearly referring to US threats, much of Björk’s lyrics focused on Greenland’s relationship with Denmark. Greenland has no longer been a Danish colony since the 1950s, but remains a semi-autonomous part of Denmark, with its own local government and two members of the Danish parliament.
Denmark continues to control Greenland’s foreign policy and defense and accounts for more than half of the country’s public budget.
Iceland’s own history and a cautionary look
Iceland, Björk’s home country, also shares a colonial past with Denmark, dating back to the first half of the 20th century. Iceland became independent in 1944. Björk wrote that her compatriots were “extremely relieved that we were able to break away from the Danes” and that “our language has not been lost.”
She then described two shocking examples of Denmark’s control over Greenland. One involved a lawsuit filed in 2024 by 140 Greenlandic women. They accuse Denmark of using IUDs to reduce Greenland’s population without their knowledge or consent. Between 1966 and 1970, almost 4,500 women and girls are said to have been affected.
Coercive measures and their consequences
“They are my age and younger…childless,” Björk wrote.
She also mentioned the so-called “parenting competency” tests that Greenlanders were subjected to for years until they were finally banned last May. These tests, often used in Denmark as part of child protection procedures, were considered inappropriate and inappropriate for the population of Greenland and other minorities.
In her post, Björk reported on a Greenlandic mother whose daughter was taken away just two hours after birth in 2024. Although the tests are now banned, mother and child have not yet been reunited.
Final appeal
At the end, Björk wrote: “Dear Greenlanders, declare independence!!!! Compassionate wishes from your neighbors. Warmth.”