A kind of “magic” called technology has given rise to many remarkable devices that humans once did not even know they needed. This ingenuity has generated enormous financial gains for its creators, opened up job opportunities for millions, and kept the wheels of the global economy turning. A new motivation has emerged, inspiring young people across the world to eagerly study technology in all its complexity, hoping their futures might be as bright as those of today’s tech trillionaires.
As technological devices continue to multiply, both in number and in variety, those working in the tech industry face a major challenge: access to raw materials. The rare minerals that form the basis of microchips—the brains of the devices we now rely on—cannot be mined just anywhere. They are rare in the truest sense of the word.
One location often mentioned as holding vast reserves of these rare minerals is Greenland, the world’s largest island and a territory under Danish jurisdiction. Before the 2000s, Greenland was largely seen as a massive slab of ice with extreme temperatures, perched at the northern edge of the Earth. Exploiting Greenland’s resources would have required enormous costs when its ice sheets were still as thick as they were in the 1980s or 1990s.
Thanks to global warming, this effort may no longer be as costly. Greenland’s thick ice has begun to thin, making it far less complicated to extract rare minerals that have been stored beneath it for millions of years. According to basic market logic, the scarcer an item is, the higher its value. Greenland’s future may therefore look very promising. It is not impossible that the region could grow wealthy from rare mineral mining.
Honoring the “Sacrifice”
But who are the people who stand to benefit from this sudden prosperity? They are known as the Inuit, one of the Indigenous groups who have lived for centuries in the coldest regions of the Northern Hemisphere. According to historians, the Inuit of Greenland originally came from North America, specifically Alaska, where large Inuit populations can still be found today.
Long ago, the northern climate was far colder than it is now. Areas that are currently open waters were once solid ice sheets, safe to cross. From Alaska, the Inuit traveled as far as Russia and Greenland, carrying with them everything they owned—not only their families and hunting tools, but also their knowledge systems and spiritual beliefs.
Surviving extreme temperatures—often reaching tens of degrees below zero Celsius in winter—is no simple feat. The Inuit are among the few ethnic groups in the world who chose this difficult path. Their environment shaped them into a people with a strong sense of individual resilience. Even so, Inuit Indigenous Faith does not encourage disconnection from the surrounding natural world.
Nature is the foundation of Inuit life. Their belief system does not forbid taking or using what nature provides. Living in such harsh conditions has long made the Inuit dependent on hunting for food. At the same time, Indigenous Faith views animals and plants as beings equal to humans, as all possess life. Respect is therefore shown to hunted animals before their meat is consumed or their skins are used for clothing. For example, a simple offering of fresh water may be presented to a hunted seal as a gesture of gratitude for the animal’s “sacrifice.”
“Humans Are Not the Rulers of Nature”
Changes in the Earth’s climate inevitably affect Inuit life as a minority community that has relied on hunting traditions for thousands of generations. Deeply rooted Indigenous Faith guide the Inuit to see environmental change as something that can happen at any time. They do not see themselves as rulers of the world, nor do they claim to know what nature ultimately intends.
In the coming years, hunting may no longer be a viable way of life for the Inuit. Animals in the Arctic, like those elsewhere on the planet, have already been exposed to toxins from environmental pollution. Will the Inuit then become workers in rare mineral mines instead?
From the perspective of Inuit Indigenous Faith, prosperity from the use of natural resources can only be achieved by maintaining balance. If a rare mineral mine were to open in Greenland in the near future, large offerings would need to be made as expressions of gratitude and as requests for permission to take something from nature. Humility is not only good for human mental health, but also for the preservation of the natural world itself. (dwas)
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