The news media is abuzz lately about Greenland, an Arctic territory just east of Canada and part of the kingdom of Denmark. The world’s largest island, it has about 56,000 inhabitants, most of them living in the 20% of Greenland that isn’t ice and snow.
President Donald Trump has publicly expressed his wish to buy Greenland from Denmark, in part to enhance security in the Arctic region, joining a list of other U.S. leaders who since the 19th century have wanted, or made unsuccessful attempts, to acquire the island. The Vikings came there many centuries ago to stake their claim to this prized location, but their efforts also failed.
Why is Greenland such a coveted place? Asta Mønsted knows, and she’s also well-versed in its fascinating history and archaeology.
The UC Berkeley assistant professor and archaeologist, who joined the Department of Scandinavian Studies in the fall of 2024, was born in North Greenland, does research on the Greenlandic Inuit’s oral history and teaches a campus course on Arctic folklore and mythology.
Speaking Inuit on her mother’s side and Danish on her father’s, Mønsted is bilingual. She values Greenland’s culture, which includes an emphasis on community, responsibility for others and respect for nature.
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In an interview with Berkeley News, Mønsted discusses her homeland, its oral history, folklore, language, history and the changing climate, and she tells why it’s vital for us to learn about and connect with the Indigenous people of the Arctic.
In Sisimiut municipality, Asta Mønsted, with her young son nearby, registers the ruins of a winter house at the site of Illuit, West Greenland. The stone and turf structure are the remains of the structure’s back wall. Niels Mønsted/UC-Berkeley).
Why has Greenland been such a focal point throughout history?
Asta Mønsted: Historically, Greenland has been significant, for example, during the search for the Northwest Passage in the 18th century. Expedition ships would travel along Greenland’s western coast in search of the passage, which put Greenland on the radar, so to speak, for European and American explorers.
Later, during the Cold War, Greenland became strategically important due to its geopolitical position amid tensions between the USSR and the United States. Various military bases were established there. Then, for a while, global interest in Greenland subsided. But now, tensions and competition have returned, particularly regarding access to natural resources, like rare earth minerals.
Greenland has been inhabited in multiple waves over the past 4,500–5,000 years, with the first people arriving from the North American continent via Canada when the sea froze in the narrow strait at Thule in northern Greenland. The ancestors of modern-day Greenlanders trace their lineage to the Thule culture, which arrived with the most recent wave of migration occurring around 1150 AD.
You’ve said in a previous interview that in Greenland, you can actually feel climate change happening. It’s not just something you read about in the news.
You really do experience climate change on a physical level. You can feel it, you can see it. I remember a scientist showing us a side-by-side comparison of an old photograph taken 100 years ago and a current image of the same location. In the older photo, there was a massive glacier and a small boat with someone sitting back, relaxing. In the present-day image, the glacier had dramatically shrunk, and the boat was a modern rubber boat. It was shocking.
A stone-built pre-Christian grave just north of Ilimanaq overlooks the fiord of Qeqertarsuup Tunua in West Greenland. (Asta Mønsted/UC-Berkeley).
As an archaeologist, I also take a long-view perspective. Climate change has happened before, and we know the people of the Thule culture survived the last ice age: There are layers of histories in Greenland that show people have historically adapted. But today, we live in settled cities, unlike earlier communities that were highly mobile, following animals and natural resources. Now, we’ve locked ourselves in place, making it harder to adapt in the same way.
How are you connected to Greenland personally and professionally? And why did you choose to specialize in its archaeology and oral history?
I was born and raised in Greenland. My mother’s side is Inuit, and my father’s side is Danish. Growing up bilingual helped shape my perspective. My father, a civil engineer and amateur geologist, loved collecting rocks. One day, he showed me a stone tool that someone had started crafting, but abandoned. It was the first time I realized I was holding something shaped by another human — someone who lived there at the same spot long before me. That experience sparked my fascination with archaeology. Professionally, that interest led me to study prehistoric archaeology.
In Asta Mønsted’s hometown of Uummannaq, North Greenland, these are three historic stone-and-turf houses with more modern architecture in the background. (Asta Mønsted/UC-Berkeley).
In Greenland, artifacts are often just lying on the ground because much of the land is uninhabited, and cultural remains haven’t been buried under modern development. If you know what to look for, you can see ruins with the naked eye.
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Storytelling was a regular pastime in Greenland because you live in darkness for months at a time. It was common for people to come together, sit by the lamp and tell stories in community.
My work involves using oral history and archaeology together. Many myths and legends were passed down orally for generations before they were ever written down by colonizers. One well-known Inuit myth explains the origins of the sun and moon through a story about a brother and sister — one that also serves as a warning against incest. These stories carry deep cultural knowledge, guiding communities on survival, relationships and ethics. An important publication that captures some of these stories is called Således skriver jeg, Aron, and it has detailed illustrations by Aron Kangeq.
Is there a well-known story in Greenland’s mythology that shapes the culture today?
One of the most important stories in Greenlandic mythology and folklore is that of a young girl who defied her father when he deemed her ready for marriage. Refusing to comply, she was cast over the side of a boat by her father. As she clung to the edge, he cruelly cut off her fingers.
According to legend, she now resides at the bottom of the ocean. When people break taboos — such as overfishing, taking more than they need, or failing to treat one another with kindness — she withholds the animals. The shaman then descends to negotiate with her, acknowledging past mistakes and promising to do better. Because she understands what it means to be human, to go hungry and to struggle to hunt, she often grants a second chance.
A book contains iIllustrations by Aron Kangermioq (1822-1869) that accompany stories that originally were oral ones. Some of them were written down for publishing by the artist. (Sarah Fullerton/UC-Berkeley).
This story serves as a powerful lesson in sustainability and responsibility, reminding us to respect nature, care for the animals and protect both our communities and the delicate relationships that sustain us ... in Greenland, community and mutual care are essential. No one can survive alone in the harsh Arctic environment, so people must look out for one another.
What significant archaeological discovery in Greenland should people know about?
The mummies of Qilakitsoq were a remarkable find. These were six women and two young children naturally mummified in a cave around 1475. They provide invaluable insight into the clothing, tattoos and way of life of Greenlandic people at the time. My mother’s cousin’s husband was actually one of the hunters who discovered them. At first, they didn’t even tell anyone because they were afraid of disturbing the site. Eventually, it became one of Greenland’s most famous archaeological discoveries.
In Sisimiut municipality, Mønsted and her son are on the site of Eqaluit, by the side wall of a winter house. The front of the house with its entrance tunnel can be seen in the front of the photo. (Niels Mønsted/UC-Berkeley).
Why is it important to study oral history, folklore, language and ancient civilizations?
It is more important than ever to understand and engage with the Indigenous peoples of the Arctic, given the political landscape we find ourselves in today. Greenland is at the center of major global issues — climate change, the growing interest in rare earth minerals, and its strategic geopolitical location — all of which have significant implications for its people and culture.
There are already numerous archaeological sites in Greenland under threat due to melting permafrost. As the ice thaws, coastal erosion intensifies, with waves encroaching on ancient settlements that were historically built near the ocean. This ongoing environmental shift puts invaluable cultural heritage at risk.
For example, as an archaeologist working in Greenland, I find it fascinating to explore how prehistoric elements can inspire future architecture. Rather than relying solely on generic concrete buildings that could exist anywhere, we have an opportunity to create structures that reflect Greenland’s heritage and identity. By incorporating traditional influences, we can design architecture in which Greenlanders feel represented — where they see themselves and their culture mirrored, even in modern urban spaces.
Top image: Nuuk, Greenland skyline with the aurora borealis shining overhead.
Source: Quintinsoloviev/CC BY-SA 4.0.
This is an edited version of an article published by the University of California-Berkeley, entitled ‘Asta Mønsted, a Specialist in Prehistoric Archaeology, Reveals Greenland Through the Inuit Oral Tradition.’
