Greenland has found itself at the centre of attention due to its natural resources, with the US belief that it should have a claim to the entire Western hemisphere being widely criticised. But before its land and minerals were threatened with exploitation, it was the Inuit people themselves whose lives were controlled from afar. European Politics editor Thea Jürgensen looks into the “spiral campaign”, which is increasingly perceived as an act of genocide.

Greenland made international headlines at the beginning of this year when US President Donald Trump renewed his ambition to purchase the island. The proposal sparked mass demonstrations and solidarity events across Denmark. Greenlandic and Danish flags were displayed side by side, symbolising the close ties between the two nations and a shared commitment to Greenland’s right to self-determination.

Yet, the relationship between Greenland and Denmark has not always been defined by solidarity. Their shared history contains darker chapters marked by colonial rule, forced assimilation policies, and attempts to control Greenland’s population through the sterilisation of Inuit women.

From colony to autonomy

Once a Danish colony, Greenland is today an autonomous territory within the Kingdom of Denmark. The majority of its population is Inuit, with their own language, Kalaallisut, and a distinct cultural heritage rooted in traditions such as hunting and fishing. Following a referendum in 2008, Greenland gained expanded self-government while remaining part of the Danish Realm.

The roots of the sterilisation scandal lie in the post-war transformation of Greenland’s political status. In 1953, Greenland ceased to be a colony and was formally integrated into Denmark. At a time when decolonisation movements were reshaping the world and the United Nations increasingly criticised colonial structures, Denmark sought to modernise Greenland and raise living standards to match those of mainland Danish citizens.

This process of modernisation, however, presented challenges. Greenland’s population was growing rapidly, with families often having significantly more children than their Danish counterparts. The Danish state struggled to keep pace with the demand for schools, housing, healthcare, and public services. Rather than expanding support proportionally, authorities increasingly viewed population growth itself as a problem to be managed.

The spiral campaign

Today, Greenland’s population stands at approximately 56,500 people. That figure could have been considerably higher had it not been for what later became known as the “spiral campaign”. From the 1960s through the 1990s, Danish authorities oversaw a programme in which intrauterine devices (IUDs), commonly known as spirals, were inserted into Greenlandic women and girls. An IUD is a contraceptive device placed inside the uterus to prevent pregnancy.

In many cases, these procedures were carried out without meaningful consent. Some girls were reportedly as young as twelve years old. Many did not fully understand what was being done to them, while others were never properly informed at all. The consequences were dramatic. Between 1965 and 1970 alone, Greenland’s birth rate was effectively cut in half.

Historians estimate that around 4,500 women and girls, roughly half of the island’s fertile female population at the time, received IUDs during the campaign. The spiral campaign was not an isolated incident. It formed part of a broader pattern of policies imposed on Greenland by Danish authorities. In 1951, for example, 22 Inuit children were removed from their families and sent to Denmark in what became known as the “Little Danes Experiment”.

The goal was to raise the children in Danish households and educate them as culturally Danish citizens. Behind the initiative lay the belief that Inuit families were insufficiently modern and that Danish culture represented a superior model of development. These policies left deep scars that continue to shape Greenlandic-Danish relations today. Many Greenlanders still report experiences of discrimination and unequal treatment within the Danish state.

“Denmark colonised my body”

For decades, the stories of the women affected by the spiral campaign remained largely unknown outside Greenland. That began to change in 2017, when Naja Lyberth, who had been fitted with an IUD at the age of thirteen, publicly shared her experience. In a widely circulated Facebook post, she described the lasting impact of what had happened to her and wrote: “I felt like Denmark had colonised my body”.

Her testimony resonated across Greenland and Denmark, encouraging other women to come forward with similar stories. As more accounts emerged, pressure grew for an official investigation. In 2022, following demands from the Greenlandic parliament, authorities launched a comprehensive inquiry into the programme.

The investigation revealed disturbing testimonies. Women described being taken to doctors without understanding why, undergoing procedures without informed consent, and suffering severe physical pain afterwards. Many also spoke of the long-term psychological consequences, including feelings of powerlessness, shame, and grief.

Greenlandic political leaders, including Aki-Matilda Høegh-Dam and Mute Bourup Egede, have strongly condemned the campaign, with some describing it as a form of genocide against the Greenlandic people. Both have been prominent advocates for uncovering the full extent of the programme and ensuring accountability.

In August 2025, Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen formally apologised to Greenland. Acknowledging the suffering caused by the campaign, she stated that while the past cannot be changed, there is a responsibility to ensure such abuses never happen again. From April 2026, women affected by the programme became eligible to apply for compensation. Around 4,500 women are believed to qualify.

But compensation alone cannot erase decades of trauma. For many, the loss goes beyond financial harm. It is the loss of choice, of trust, and, in some cases, of the opportunity to build the family they had hoped for. The spiral campaign remains one of the most painful chapters in the history of Greenland and Denmark, a reminder that the legacy of colonialism is often carried not only by nations, but by individual bodies and lives.