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Explore North Greenland, Kussangajannguaq 8, Ilulissat (2025)

24/04/2025

Ajoqersuivissuaq-
The town history museum used to be an place for education.

Did you know that the Ilulissat town history museum used to be a place for education?

It was used as a seminary for catechists, which were handpicked by the local priest, and worked as kind of teacher and a priests.

Almost all students were of mixed race and were young men.

The seminary taught about 40 new catechists and were in function about 40 years, from 1845.

The seminary building was built in 1847-1848. The word Ajoqersuivissuaq means the place to be taught.

Some of the subjects, the students had, was Danish, geography, natural history, singing, organ play, Bible history and exercises in the sermon.

The catechist Seminary took 6 years to complete.

One of the first greenlandic priests Tobias Mørch was taught here.

The seminary was closed down for good in 1907.

It was later used as the home for the priest and office, and later a museum, which opened in 1973.

Photos by Visit Greenland-Mads Pihl & Arktiskebilleder.dk & Ilulissat museum-C. Vagner.

24/03/2025

Winter walk or hike.

During winter, you can still go out hiking in the fresh and crispy air.

Maybe with snowshoes, or spikes, and remember to bring warm coffee.

It’s special kind of feeling, seeing northern part of Greenland during winter with sun, which is from February to April/May.

And it can be warmer than you think, but still check the weather apps before hiking.

Photos by Visit Greenland-Rebecca Gustafsson/Mads Pihl & Avannaata kommunea-Asbjørn D. Bargsteen

Movie clip by Explore North Greenland, Anja K. Sandgreen

14/03/2025

Qualification dogsled race last Saturday.

In most places in north Greenland, where there are Greenlandic dogs (from Sisimiut to Qaanaaq),

There was a qualification race last Saturday,

It’s a big event as well as the main dogsled race, which will take place in Sisimiut 29th of March at noon,

There are many rules to follow, and you never know how it’s going to turn out,

This year, it was the first 3 arrivals, that became qualified,

There will be separate race for the children as well.

Photos by Visit Greenland-Aningaaq R. Carlsen & Avannaata kommunea-Asbjørn D. Bargsteen

Movie clip by Explore North Greenland, Anja K. Sandgreen

27/02/2025

Mural art.

Mural art work can be seen in Ilulissat, which was done by artist and teacher Ane Kathrine Lundblad,

Other than these murals, she is a painter, sculpture artist and a former handball player and coach for Nagdlúnguak’ (sport association).

Born in Qullissat in 1954, ever since she was a child, she has created art work. She finds her inspiration in nature.

She’s still with her husband Ingolf Skov, who also has collaborated with her in her work.

So what are these murals? As a true artist, her reply is: It’s what you think what they are, it’s up to you for interpretation.

Her favorite color is turquoise blue,

It was her little sister who ordered some drawings from her first,

Ingolf Skov (her husband) knows her very well,

he can tell when she’s in the zone of making her art, she has an eye for interesting colors.

Photos by Visit Greenland-Aningaaq R. Carlsen & Avannaata kommunea-Asbjørn D. Bargsteen & Anja K. Sandgreen

Movie clip by Explore North Greenland, Anja K. Sandgreen

17/02/2025

Inuit among inuit (see also reel).

Last week has been about Avannaa Arctic Games, and that means meeting new friends and family, because since Inuit have wandered through land and it feels like it’s cousins and family from the Arctic,

Inuit laugh the same way and are connected through history and spirit and humor.

Avannaa Arctic Games also arranged several evenings with cultural events, and it has been very successful,

We have interviewed one participant, who have listened to Inuit tattoo’s which has been revived as a cultural heritage.

Photos by Visit Greenland-Matthew Littlewood & Avannaata kommunea-Asbjørn D. Bargsteen.

Movie clip by Explore North Greenland, Anja K. Sandgreen

07/02/2025

Inuit pinnguaataat-inuit games. (See also reel).

This February, Avannaa Arctic Games is on the programme with participants from many regions in Greenland and from the Arctic regions (Alaska, Nunavik, Nunavut) as well with Inuit and Dene games.

How did inuit games start? What was the purpose?

Inuit games are very similar across the arctic countries, because we are family related throughout many generations in the cold and harsh climate and countries,

We have interviewed official judge and the head of the board Arctic Sports Greenland Kim Rosing about this,

More about this here: www.avannaataarcticgames.gl or knr.gl

Photos by Visit Greenland-Mads Pihl.

Movie clip by Explore North Greenland, Anja K. Sandgreen

30/01/2025

Ice fishing during winter (See also reel).

During winter, the temperature gets low to about minus 10-15 degrees Celsius, (14 to 4 Fahrenheit), so it’s important to dress well, especially to wear warm sealskin mittens, if you are going on a fishing trip to the ice by dogsled or snowmobile.

The weather has become more windy in general and the snowfall varies from year to year, but the sea ice only gets to the minor fjords and there are no more permanent sea ice to a lot of places in North Greenland, probably due to climate change.

You have the amazing opportunity to go fishing with the locals for halibut, which is very tasty.

The country and the warm fellowship is amazing and can be felt with your soul.

Although it will be freezing, if you have sealskin clothes on, which is sustainable and well adapted to this environment, it will be an experience of a lifetime.

Photos by Visit Greenland-Aningaaq R. Carlsen, Erez Marom, Jason C. Hill

Avannaata kommunea - Asbjørn D. Bargsteen

Movie clip by Explore North Greenland, Anja K. Sandgreen

23/01/2025

Cultural experiences during winter. (See also reel).

During winter time, time seems to go more slowly.

It’s the perfect time to experience the tranquility of the nature, northern lights, and perhaps go out dogsledding.

You can also go icefishing with locals, go to celebrations or cultural events like culture night or visit the local museums.

There’s always room for kaffemik celebrations/gatherings and a visit to the women’s association, mostly called Arnat Peqatigiit.

And there’s also a chance to meet and greet the dogs with the owner, and the owner can also give an insight about dogs,

Photos by Visit Greenland-Aningaaq R. Carlsen, Peter Yan, Stephane Gautronneau.

Movie clip by Explore North Greenland, Anja K. Sandgreen

17/01/2025

Aalisartoq/The fisherman. (See also reel)

How’s their everyday life like?

In the northern part of Greenland, it’s normal to see young boys during winter going about with a whip.

They do it to practice how to use the whip on dogsled tours, the whip itself rarely touches the dogs.

In the old days, you were not considered to be a real man, if you cannot maintain and control dogs in a dogsled hunting trip.

Because it’s a way of life and income and a mean of transport to hunt for food like seals, fish, and other mammals.

How you support your family is a way of life, that you learn from family and network.

What you see during your upbringing, has an impact on your choice in the line of work.

Photos by Visit Greenland-Aningaaq R. Carlsen.

Movie clip by Explore North Greenland, Anja K. Sandgreen

08/01/2025

Mitaartut.

In Greenland, on January 6th each year, there’s a thing called mitaartut (plural).

It means dressed up, it’s like a tradition, brought by the Christianity, and also mixed with inuit tradition of mask dance.

It’s very popular, and you go from house to house (the ones you know) and you try not to get recognized, and you also do a special dance, and then you can get gifts.

And then you go out to the streets and then you chase or get chased (depending if you are a mitaartoq (singular).

It’s like Halloween but also not so much, more like another kind of tradition, which stems from Christian traditions and mixed with inuit tradition.

Photos by Visit Greenland-Stine Selmer Andersen, Gunnar Gunnarsson & Aningaaq R. Carlsen

Movie clip by Explore North Greenland, Anja K. Sandgreen

20/12/2024

The moravian influence (See also reel)

Christmas in Greenland is so huge, and very festive celebration with a great joyful spirit,

Combined with the inuit spirit, you must also keep in mind the moravian influence,

The moravians were germans that were christians who also missioned Christianity in Greenland,

They left a legacy of the Christmas star, and the way you sing a hymn with multiple choir singing with great spirit, and also many hymns that are still favorites to this day in the inuit society,

Like: “Nuivoq ulloriaq”, “Qujallusi qaagitsi”

Photos by Anja Sandgreen & Visit Greenland- Karl Bidstrup, Aningaaq R. Carlsen

Movie clip by Explore North Greenland, Anja K. Sandgreen

12/12/2024

3 great advice from park ranger Aalunnguaq (See also reel)

Park ranger Aalunnguaq covers a large area as a park ranger at Greenland’s first Unesco heritage site area in Ilulissat,

And he has a lot of experience being in the wilderness of Greenland, and he has some great advice for all of us walking/hiking in nature,

Nature is very beautiful here, but you also must take your precautions because of the special environmental and weather factors, that are so different than anywhere else you have been,

And also the weather can change suddenly.
As the saying goes: Safety first.

Photos by Visit Greenland- Paul Zizka, Filip Gielda, Aningaaq R. Carlsen

Movie clip by Explore North Greenland, Anja K. Sandgreen

05/12/2024

The drum-how old is it? (See also reel)

It’s amazing to know that the earliest archeological findings of the drum are over 4,000 years old.

Although the use of it was almost destroyed by Christianity, it has somehow survived in northern parts of Greenland and East Greenland.

And now it’s on revival, welcomed by the younger generation, whereas the older generation finds it appalling (at least some do, not all).

There are currently 2 sites in Greenland, where you found some materials from the Saqqaq culture, the one is by Qeqertasussuk (south of Qasigiannguit) and the other one is in Qajaa by the Ilulissat ice fiord,

The drums were very important for the old inuit culture, who also had shamanism and animism.

It was a way of communication and also kind of a court system, where you settled a conflict.

That’s also why the courts have a drum as their logo in Greenland.

Finally, yet importantly it was also the tool the angakkoq (shaman) used to get the souls back, after getting into trance.

Right now there is an association in Nuuk, where you practice the drum in modern way and there are also many younger and a bit elder generation, who has embraced back the drum.

The drum is called qilaat in Greenlandic.
Sources: Nunatta katersugaasivia allagaateqarfialu (National museum in Greenland) & Qasigiannguit museum

Photos by Visit Greenland-Mads Pihl, Aningaaq R. Carlsen

Movie clip by Explore North Greenland, Anja K. Sandgreen

28/11/2024

(See also reel)
Christmas in Greenland.

Christmas in Greenland is very special, because of the traditions.

Also the way you sing the Christian hymns and you also get closer to each other, you can really feel the Christmas spirit,

And there’s a special vibe, when Santa Claus comes by to light up the Christmas tree by dogsled or fire truck in the polar darkness, at first advent Sunday

There’s also usually a Christmas market in many towns, and you also light the Christmas star at your home,

Have a Merry Christmas and first advent Sunday,

Photos by Visit Greenland- Dan Normann, Sofia Prado, Axel G. Hansen, Aningaaq R. Carlsen

Movie clip by Explore North Greenland, Anja K. Sandgreen

22/11/2024

Fishermen and hunter's day.

Better late than never, see previous reel.

We congratulate all fishermen and hunters at their official day November15th,

created 36 years ago by the organization of KNAPK,which is an association for hunters and fishermen.

Fishing and hunting are the main ways of income in Greenland,

And in all kind of weather conditions, they go out and risk their lives to bring home the fish, meat and shrimps.

If you have been to Greenland during wintertime, you’ll notice how cold it gets during a strong wind, so you better not forget your mittens.

Congratulations to all fishermen and hunters.

Photos by Visit Greenland- Mads Pihl, Aningaaq R. Carlsen

Movie clip by Explore North Greenland, Anja K. Sandgreen

06/11/2024

(See also reel)
Women in Greenland.

Women are the foundation of all societies,

And that’s also the case in Greenland, where there are 24,389 women born in Greenland out of total population of 56,699 people July 1st 2024 according to Greenland Statistics,

Women in Greenland take care of the household and have also a working career,

The gender roles are somewhat still very traditional, but something has shifted the last 40 years,

Now the men can skin a seal (the meat is used for food and the skin is clothing) and the women can work in mostly male represented jobs,

The graduates from the only university in Greenland called Ilisimatusarfik are mostly female, so the men mostly work at the male represented jobs or as fishermen or hunters.

Photos by Visit Greenland- Magnus B. Trolle, Aningaaq R. Calsen & Rebekka Gustafsson

Movie clip by Explore North Greenland, Anja K. Sandgreen

31/10/2024

Flowers in Greenland.

The greenlandic flowers and fauna are an amazing part of the land,

The arctic summer is very short, so the flowers bloom fast and they are very beautiful and many have good qualities,

It is said that the old inuit way of life used to use some of the flowers to medical purposes before the missionaries came,

See more information about the arctic flowers here: https://visitgreenland.com/greenlands-flora/

Photos by Visit Greenland-Aningaaq Rosing Carlsen, Bo Normander.

Movie clip by Explore North Greenland, Anja K. Sandgreen

25/10/2024

Old houses in Greenland.

Today, we’re going to show you a bit about some old houses.

The old trade houses are common to Greenland, and are usually built in the harbour areas of the cities many years ago.

The house, we are showing is known as a trader’s house, and later used as a head of administration’s office and courthouse, and is now used as an office at the municipality of Avannaa. It was built in 1767.

Photos by Visit Greenland-Mads Pihl, Peter Lindstrom, Arktiskebilleder.dk

Movie clip by Explore North Greenland, Anja K. Sandgreen

Explore North Greenland