His first thought was to leave the city.
Move out to the cabin his family has in the fjord.
55-year-old Jan Erik Pedersen from Nuuk is usually as calm as a rock. But the numerous threats from the United States about annexing his country linger in the back of his mind.
The intensity of the threat has ebbed and flowed. No one knows what to believe. Whether to prepare for the worst.
On Tuesday, the Greenlandic government stated at a press conference that because the American president does not rule out the use of military force, the Greenlandic government, Naalakkersuisut, does not either. Authorities will therefore establish a »coordinating emergency team« to ensure that Greenlandic society and the population are ready.
On Wednesday, the American president demanded immediate negotiations to take over Greenland in his speech at the World Economic Forum in Davos.
He dismissed the idea of using force, despite having left that threat hanging in the air for about a year. So, can he be trusted? The initial political reactions from Greenland and Denmark are a mix of cautious relief and skepticism.
And by Wednesday afternoon, the Greenlandic government continued its emergency plan. In a new brochure, the population is advised to have supplies to manage for five days during a crisis.
This won’t be difficult for Jan Erik Pedersen. He has survived in nature since he was a child. When he was five years old, his parents and grandparents taught him how to catch trout. With nets or with his hands.
»If they lie between the stones, you can feel them under the belly and grab them by the gills,« he explains.
Nature is also a central element in his work. He has worked with at-risk youth for 30 years and is in his 10th year as the head of a children’s home in the city. Because when you’re out in nature, you can’t escape what happens in your mind and body.
Jan Erik Pedersen has taken the time to speak at a café in the center of Nuuk. He looks at his watch, where he receives text messages. He is on call at the children’s home in case something happens.
It is not unusual for Greenlanders to feel connected to nature, but for Jan Erik Pedersen, it is more than that. He has a sense of where the animals might be.
»Sometimes I sense a pulse in the landscape where I’m going to hunt. That’s how I know where to head« he says.
Until now, his weapon has been aimed at ptarmigans, hares, and reindeer. When he’s on a trip, he can also shoot a polar bear, but only in self-defense.
But now there may be another enemy. Nearly every morning brings a new offensive statement from Trump. As a Greenlander, you can’t help but think, Jan Erik Pedersen explains. Then he says quietly, without blinking:
»I’m ready to take up arms to defend my country. I know we don’t stand a chance, but I know others are ready too.«
»There may be 10,000 Greenlanders with guns, and they’re used to shooting ptarmigan, hares, and reindeer—so they’re basically sharpshooters,« he adds.
He himself has cartridges ready, and he has heard from a gun dealer that he is not the only one who has stocked up well.
»They will probably go after the government buildings first because they are the ones that keep society running,« he says.
Food won’t be a problem. Jan Erik Pedersen has a freezer full of Greenlandic food, so they could live for at least a month and a half.
»Do we need to flee?« asked his daughter
It’s not just Jan Erik Pedersen who is preparing for the unthinkable. At the store Orsiivik in an industrial area in Nuuk, outdoor equipment, fuel, and camping gear are sold.
Manager Rasmus Nilsson says sales were already good before the government’s announcement of increased preparedness.
People especially buy gas heaters and gas cylinders. And large red 20-liter jugs of kerosene, which can be used for stoves. Something he calls »dry food« is also popular. It’s food you just add water to.
»People are worried. It feels a bit like when COVID was looming,« he says.
There are rifles hanging on the shop walls. A young man peers through the sights of one—he’s turning 20 soon and wants a hunting rifle.
The rise in gun sales is minimal, says Rasmus Nilsson, but they are selling more ammunition.
He hasn’t prepped himself. He hunts, has a full freezer, and camping gear so he can cook. He also has a cabin up the fjord he could retreat to, he says.
He doesn’t think an American invasion is coming, though the thought has crossed his mind.
»But I try to be logical. I don’t think the first thing they’d go for would be the power supply—that would hurt them too,« he says.
Otherwise, he’s trying to stay calm, especially for his 10-year-old daughter. She asked, »Do we need to flee?«
»We talked it through, and now I think she understands it’s something the adults will handle,« he says.
The cold is the worst
The government’s recommendation to manage with water, food, and warmth for five days is found in a new brochure. At a press conference on Wednesday, it was emphasized that it had been in the works for a long time and is not specifically aimed at the current crisis but at crises in general.
The advice is similar to what we know in Denmark, though under ’food,’ it states that one should have hunting weapons, ammunition, and fishing gear. It also highlights that special precautions may need to be taken if living in harsh weather conditions or sea ice.
The informative emergency association Folk & Sikkerhed in Greenland also released a pamphlet this week. It is titled ’What If’ and will be distributed throughout the country as soon as possible, says the association’s chairman, Kaj Kleist.
The pamphlet does not mention an invasion but states that with a small effort, one can be prepared for »floods, a new pandemic, cyber-attacks, crisis, terror, or breakdowns in our supply network« – things that can disrupt society for shorter or longer periods. The recommendation here is to manage for a week.
»It is made to anticipate events. It is a call to the population to generally make everyday life as safe as possible if something happens,« says Kaj Kleist, who is a former department head in Grønlands Hjemmestyre.
He is aware, however, that the population’s concern increases as Trump makes statements about taking over Greenland.
The recommendation from Folk & Sikkerhed is to have supplies for a week. Unlike in Denmark, it also says you can draw water from local streams.
»The big difference compared to Denmark is the cold. This winter has been mild, but you can’t count on that,« says Kaj Kleist.
He adds that Folk & Sikkerhed will reach out to Greenlandic authorities to coordinate public guidance.
Nature heals
A greater effort from the authorities has previously been a political wish from the Greenlandic parliamentarian Aaja Chemnitz (IA).
She has submitted a question to the Minister for Civil Preparedness and Emergency Management, Torsten Schack Pedersen (V), asking for an assessment of whether today’s preparedness is sufficient.
Formally, Greenland has taken over civil protection and emergency rescue, but Aaja Chemnitz told Politiken earlier this year that Denmark has a moral responsibility to help.
The question has not yet been answered, but on Tuesday, the Danish minister agreed with the Greenlandic Peter Borg, who is the minister for fisheries, hunting, agriculture, and self-sufficiency, to increase the existing cooperation on preparedness.
While the authorities work, Jan Erik Pedersen has his own way of dealing with the uncertainty he and all other Greenlanders live with right now.
He’s seeking refuge in nature. Every Tuesday he leads a hike up a nearby mountain—last time it was minus 14 with wind, pushing the chill to minus 25—and you really feel it in your bones.
He’s also cut back on news and started walking to work, taking a longer route to clock 6–7 kilometers.
»After the first 10 minutes, the dark thoughts lift.«
As he says, nature heals.
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