I’ve been in Iceland and Greenland meeting Arctic leaders and identifying possible paths forward. The people of The Arctic, including the Inuit of Greenland, have more power and leverage than they realize. Both the US and the Kingdom of Denmark acknowledge that Greenlanders must be at the heart of the decision making process. The Greenlanders can be described as “not for sale but open for business”. Here’s what they could and should play for:
Not just cash but participation in American and NATO advances in technology. The US wants and needs polar ground stations other than the SvalSat site in Svalbard in Norway. These Arctic - Space data links are essential in the development of the space economy. Space is about achieving abundance of energy. Abundance of resources. Abundance of satellite based internet. Greenland and Iceland too could say we want access to space based solar power, which involves beaming power from space to remote locations on Earth. They could say, if Helium 3 on the moon represents the key to nuclear fusion and Quantum computing, then we should benefit from these new forms of unlimited clean energy too. If the US is building military ground stations, why not build a commercial ground station that would give all the people of the Arctic access to free satellite-based Wi-Fi anywhere without needing to dig holes in the ground and run wires around?
Greenlanders and Icelanders should look at Rwanda’s space strategy. They realized that Africa is the fastest-growing and youngest Continent with the greatest resources. But, it’s all held back because there’s no pan-African internet. So they said, let’s create one by applying for the satellite slots that all nations are entitled to at the ITU (International Telecommunications Union). Rwanda doesn’t have to build the satellites or launch them or even operate them. That can all be outsourced. But, Rwanda can have the data. That’s the new gold. They can then create jobs, upgrade skills, lift incomes. The Arctic is the size of Africa and could also have a megaconstellation of satellites owned by indigenous people.
This is a once-in-a-species moment where humanity is becoming a truly interplanetary species. It sounds like science fiction, but already we are bringing back samples for asteroids that show we can mine in space, refine in orbit, and give humanity access to all the raw materials that are needed while saving Earth from being ripped up and contaminated by toxic processes. Indigenous people should benefit from the new wealth and new ventures that will arise from this abundance.
If the war in Ukraine persists, then Greenland, Iceland, and the GIUK (Greenland Iceland UK) Gap will become more critical. Why? Because that’s where Russian nuclear weapons will be traveling through the Atlantic to threaten the US or aiming at Britain’s nuclear facilities in Scotland. It’s where ICBMs and hypersonic weapons from adversaries will be flying over. If such weapons are a possibility, the indigenous people of the Arctic are the oldest and finest guardians of nature. They should have a seat at the table, access to the information and a voice to prevent nuclear escalation
The Greenlanders want and need better healthcare and better public services. They can negotiate to have independence while keeping the Danish social structures and support systems, while gaining the benefits of aligning with the US. Demand not just cash but systems.
Finally, as humanity expands up into the furthest reaches of space and down into sub space (nuclear, sub atomic, nano. Biological and DNA), no one is better placed to help us all navigate this newfound relationship with nature better than indigenous people. Maybe the universe has created this firestorm to draw the indigenous people of the world into the conversation, into positions of power, into a place where their ancient wisdom could help defuse all this geopolitical testosterone that’s flying around. As we increase our powers of both destruction and creation, we all need to dream of, envision, and bring into reality a better future. This kind of dreaming and surviving in harsh conditions is a core competency of Arctic people.
One Arctic leader said to me, “These Americans and even the Kingdom of Denmark are newcomers. We’ve been here for thousands of years. We’ll see how long they last”. Humanity needs the Arctic people to help us navigate our way to a more peaceful and abundant future.
Please feel free to share this with Greenlandic, Icelandic, and Arctic friends. I am happy to offer free subscriptions to them.
