Adolf Eugenius JENSEN - Priest, Carpenter, Hunter

Saqqaq - Latitude 70 00 NR - Longitude 051 55 W

200 inhabitants

Interviewed in August 2009

The big changes really began in the 1950’s. Many villages, with thirty to forty people, started to disappear on the coast of Greenland. I believe that Greenland is about half way through the developments which took place in Europe, a hundred and fifty years ago. My point of view is that we should not be stubbornly opposed to changes, but should seize the opportunities which they bring. One example of these changes is the fish processing plants which we have here on Saqqaq, or the one on Qeqertaq, which did not exist. Another example is air transport, and especially helicopters, which connect the villages all year long, and bring help in case of necessity. Such things are really important. The sea-going transport no longer stops in November before restarting in June, as was the case in the fifties. When I was a child, I had never seen an apple. Today we get fruits all year round. We didn’t have a radio, whereas today, the humblest house has a television. The flat screens are the same as in Europe. In the past, my parents, my five brothers and sisters and my grandmother all lived in the same room. Eight people together all day was not easy. Things have changed a lot today. Living so close together sometimes caused big problems – many people died of tuberculosis because of it.

Our environment is always changing. In the bay of Disko, cod have come back, in even greater numbers than in the past. Saqqaq was never an important centre for fishing, but it is now becoming one. On the other hand, there are less and less belougas (white whales). You can see them from November to January. It’s a species which is tending to disappear from our coast.

Hunting whales is limited and controlled. From the north to Ilulissat, we are authorised to hunt a maximum of five northern whales, even though there are five to six thousand of them. Nonetheless, I think it’s a good thing to have these restrictions. In the past, they were hunted from kayaks. Today with modern methods, and many motor boats, they would be completely decimated, as they are docile whales, and easy to hunt. Modern life has unfortunately resulted in a loss of our traditions. Children used to grow up with their parents and grandparents, and knowledge was passed on in this way. That is no longer the case, and playgroups and nurseries have replaced the elders. Everyone’s level of comfort has improved, to the detriment of our patrimony and our traditions.

From a general point of view, I prefer the modern way of life, even if in respect of the education of the young people, there are things which can be criticised.

On the subject of politics, self government (increased autonomy) as it is now known, is a good thing, although full independence would be a mistake for the future of Greenland.