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Often we hear that people with a lot of money

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are coming here from other countries to extract the minerals.

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Greenland is considered to have the last great

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untapped reserves of rare earth materials.

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And Donald Trump thinks a deal would suit the U.S. and Greenlanders.

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We, as a Greenlandic society, are very close to our land.

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And when other societies say that they want to buy it, it is mind-boggling and strange.

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Greenland has a long history of mining.

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But attention and activity have surged in recent years,

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driven by its vast deposits of critical minerals.

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The geology of South Greenland is very special.

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Critical minerals that are used in newer technologies,

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like power tools, mobile phones, electric cars etc,

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When their value grew, interest in South Greenland grew too.

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Because there are high incidences of those minerals here.

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But as ground is broken in South Greenland

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to the promise of jobs and growth,

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questions remain about the future of traditional livelihoods.

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As a livelihood, hunting and fishing can be very harsh.

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But also very fulfilling.

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Today’s way of living is very different compared to 50 years ago.

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Livelihoods are so modern nowadays

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and some ways of living ought to be kept alive.

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Compared to other municipalities in Greenland, we are in a challenging time.

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There are many unemployed people. There are limited options to earn an income.

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So, our municipality has to come up with new solutions to expand our economy

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if we want to develop.

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South Greenland currently has

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one active mine, with two under development.

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One of which, Tanbreez, or Killavaat Alannguat,

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plans to mine one of the largest deposits

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of rare earth minerals outside of China.

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These elements are essential to green and weapon technologies.

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These new projects promise jobs,

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economic growth and stronger links to global markets.

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The interest in Greenland is very high now,

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especially after the situation with the Americans.

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TanBreez, which contains rare earth elements, is massive.

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If we count Greenland as part of Europe,

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it is the largest deposit in Europe.

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Approximately 80% of Europe’s rare earth elements are in Tanbreez, or Killavaat Alannguat.

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The result is that the projects in Amitsoq and Tanbreez

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will progress quickly and there will be more support from investors.

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But the new mines also raise

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questions about who truly benefits and at what cost

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to the land, the water and the people who depend on them.

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We understand that it is an economic opportunity for Greenland, which we aren’t opposed to.

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But if it takes place in our hunting areas, then we are very much against it.

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If they open the mine in Killavaat, in the Kangerluarsuk fjord and off Qaqortoq near Taartoq,

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there are many fish in these areas.

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Large amounts of cod are caught there every day.

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The mine will be close to town indeed, and people worry about the dust, but there are ways to control that.

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If under examination there is evidence of pollution, then the mining company cannot operate.

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While the country’s mining laws have many guards against excessive pollution,

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protection of people’s livelihoods remains unclear.

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Tanbreez has been discussed at local hearings since 2013.

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From the transcripts, these projects appear

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to take priority over concerns about fishing activities.

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The government of Greenland confirmed to Mongabay

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that, where harbours are planned,

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there could be localized fishing closures for safety reasons.

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Solutions to this issue have not been proposed by the government.

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We fishers might become useless in the future because we fish in those fjords.

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What our ancestors once did, we still do today.

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But our descendents won’t have the same opportunity once Killavaat Alannguat opens

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and they start closing fishing areas.

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And they have already drawn very clear lines.

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That’s why we’re highly against the mine in Killavaat.

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What’s clear from our reporting

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is that most citizens of South Greenland aren’t opposed to mining.

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They see it’s promise.

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Opinions differ in how to weigh that promise

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against the traditions and livelihoods rooted in these fjords.

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And as Greenlanders continue carving out their independence,

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these decisions are about more than economics.

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We need to work together toward what is best for all of us.

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If the outcome is the fishermen can’t fish in the fjord, we will have to reevaluate the project with the mining laws.

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It is our land, and our descendants’ place in the future.

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That’s why we have to pave the way so that our descendants have something to inherit

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and can carry it forward.

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We have to pass it on, in a good way.