The waves went high in Inatsisartut on Wednesday when they debated a proposal from Naleraq. Here there was great disagreement as to what the basis for the proposal actually was.
Wednesday 3 June treated Inatsisartut a proposal about a “data-based registration of the original population in Greenland ‘Inuit’,” which was put forward by the chairman of Naleraq, Pele Broberg.
– If we are to comply with applicable law and rights, as well as if we are to avoid international outrage, we, as the legislative assembly, are forced to react, said Pele Broberg from the podium.
But Naalakkersuisut did not agree. Chairman Jens-Frederik Nielsen took to the podium and said “Naalakkersuisut will not accept that citizens are discriminated against on the basis of gender, ethnicity and religion”.
Naalakkersuisut thus recommended that the proposal be rejected.
The item therefore proceeds to the 2nd reading in its current form without committee consideration. 2. the consideration will be during the autumn meeting 2026, when they will vote on the proposal.
Harsh tones in the debate
During the debate, Nivi Rosing (IA) and Naleraq clashed. Nivi Rosing continued to point out that Greenland does not need an Inuit registry because Inuit make up more than half of the population, whereas indigenous people in Canada and elsewhere are in the minority.
In general, there were harsh tones from the coalition parties around Naleraq.
However, the party believed that it was about protecting Greenland and complying with international law.
The chairman of the ICC, Sara Olsvig, also involuntarily became the focal point of the debate, as the parties disagreed on how to interpret her statements about the need for data on Greenlanders.
Siumut was the only party apart from Naleraq that wanted to send the proposal to committee.
Lack of explanation
Pele Broberg has previously proposed a “register of Inuit based on voluntary registration and associated electoral register”. The item was 1. dealt with at the autumn meeting 2022 and 2. dealt with at the spring meeting 2023.
The proposal was considered by the Law Committee, which recommended that Naalakkersuisut take a closer look at the matter. The then coalition consisting of Siumut and IA decided that Naalakkersuisut must present a report on the consequences of and the need for a Greenlandic register of Inuit based on voluntary registration at the latest at the autumn meeting 2024.
In an email to Sermitsiaq, the Naleraq chairman states that he has not yet received the report.
