A secret 1953 deal between Denmark and the United States led to the forced relocation of 87 members of Greenland’s Inughuit tribe to make room for an American military base. With only four days’ warning, the Inughuit of Thule were told they had to leave the land they had occupied for millennia and move to an inhospitable region farther north. The traditional Inughuit land was valued by the U.S. for its proximity to the Soviet Union, as the Cold War was beginning. In 1996, the Inughuit formed Hingitaq 53, an organization dedicated to the legal fight for a return to Thule. ‘Hingitaq’ means ‘discarded.’ A ruling from the Danish Supreme Court is expected later this year. Thule Air Force Base is still active, with about 800 American Air Force personnel and civilians.
