- Aviaja Fontain, 40, is a mother born and raised in Greenland's capital, Nuuk.
- The Trump administration has intensified its push to acquire Greenland, a territory of the Kingdom of Denmark.
- "He needs to leave Greenland and Greenlanders alone," Aviaja says. "We don't want to be colonized twice."
This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Aviaja Fontain, a 40-year-old mother born and raised in Greenland's capital, Nuuk. US President Donald Trump has repeatedly expressed his desire to annex Greenland, a territory under the Kingdom of Denmark with a population of around 56,000. Trump said he will impose new tariffs on several European countries, including Denmark, until a deal is reached. This story has been edited for length and clarity.
I kept on looking toward the harbor to see if the US Navy was here after Trump raided Venezuela.
The first few days after the raid, of course, it was scary. I felt like we were all just waiting to get invaded. I kept on looking at the airplanes to see if they were American soldiers.
I'm seeing more Danish officers coming to Greenland now, and they're training in the Arctic or near Nuuk. It feels weird. We're not used to it.
I keep telling myself Trump doesn't have any legal right to annex Greenland because I don't want to be scared. I was going to orchestrate a demonstration in protest, but I'm in school and my exams were taking too much time.
I know Trump says he will treat us with respect, but I don't believe him. He needs to leave Greenland and Greenlanders alone.
Greenlanders want peace, not generational trauma
Many of us Greenlanders love nature very much, so it's important to us that we can walk in the mountains, where it's so peaceful and quiet. I fear that Trump will try to take over Greenland, search for rare minerals and oil, and all of that will disappear.
We just want our land to be peaceful. No one is fighting for security, minerals, or anything. We are people. We have rights. We have a culture. You can't just take that and buy it.
There is generational trauma from when we were first colonized by Denmark. If we're going to be colonized by the US, then there's going to be more generational trauma. What is going to happen with our kids in the future?
My son said that if something were to happen, he would fight for his country and his fellow Greenlanders. He is 19.
I don't want to leave Greenland
If it really happens, if the US annexes Greenland, maybe I will have to flee the capital, but I told my mom, "I don't think I will ever leave Nuuk because we have lived here most of our lives."
I think all of us want independence from Denmark, but when we are ready. Maybe in my lifetime. You never know what will happen in the future.
In response, the White House's Deputy Press Secretary, Anna Kelly, told Business Insider in an email that President Trump's ideas are about bolstering US national security.
"Many of this President's predecessors recognized the strategic logic of acquiring Greenland, but only President Trump has had the courage to pursue this seriously. As the President said, NATO becomes far more formidable and effective with Greenland in the hands of the United States, and Greenlanders would be better served if protected by the United States from modern threats in the Arctic region," Kelly wrote.
The post I'm a mother born and raised in Greenland. Trump needs to leave Greenland and Greenlanders alone. appeared first on Business Insider
