Greenland, Art and Sovereignty

Homeland to vibrant communities who have forged lifeways there for thousands of years, Greenland (Kalaallit Nunaat) is a site of centuries of colonial occupation and ongoing external political pressures. In this course, we will investigate the long history of the island’s material culture, considering ways Greenlandic makers have perfected technologies for life and self-expression in the Arctic, engaged both the landscape of their home and broader circumpolar cultural networks, and advocated for autonomy and political sovereignty. We will think alongside Indigenous scholars and stakeholders, learning together to tread carefully, respect communal privacy, and consider the ethics of display. A survey across time, we will examine work from the pre-modern to contemporary period. 3 hrs lect.