DareGender, a Danish volunteer group that engages boys and men in promoting gender equality, is exploring what it means to be a man in Greenland. Jeppe Trolle Linnet, a DareGender project manager and anthropologist, is traveling around the country and interviewing men he meets along the way to understand what masculinity means in one of the most remote places on earth.
Located on the West coast of Greenland, Qasigiannguit is said to be typical of small Greenlandic towns. Home to only 1,000 people, tourism has not quite taken hold of the tranquil, beautiful surroundings: wild musk oxen roam freely, and the surrounding sea overflows with an abundance of fresh fish.
Jeppe arrived a few weeks ago – just in time for Greenland’s National Day – to discover an unusually lively Qasigiannguit, the small town buzzing with activity, as local people mingled, laughed, and shared stories.
DareGender is using the Caring Masculinities funding to conduct research about men and masculinities in the region, laying the groundwork for a broader social initiative in Greenland, and informing greater understanding of masculinity across the globe.
In Qasigiannguit’s Disko Bay Jeppe met two elderly hunters: Kãpe and Nukaq.
Hunting was the beginning of Kãpe’s journey to manhood: his face lit up with pride as he recalled the story of his first hunt. In Greenland, hunting is a traditional and crucial part of male identity, a rite of passage to manhood.
Kãpe’s father taught him to hunt at a young age. Unfortunately, he suffered an injury which meant he had to stop: but Kãpe had already learned enough, and quickly took over the responsibility of hunting for his whole family. On his first reindeer hunt, at age 14, Kãpe brought back three and a half reindeer. He was the youngest child, and the only one who wanted to become a hunter.
Nukaq is also a veteran hunter. The day Jeppe met them, Anda, Nukaq’s grandson, had won a seal hunting competition: a real moment of pride in the town and many handshakes were exchanged at the harbour as he arrived home victorious.
After spending five weeks in Qasigiannguit, learning from and talking with the local men he meets, Jeppe will continue his work in Greenland, journeying north to Uppernavik, then to the east of the region, before heading to the capital, Nuuk.
Stay tuned for Greenland Diaries.
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