From Reuters:
“Awkward moment in Denmark's parliament as Greenlandic MP
refuses to speak Danish”
A Greenlandic MP on Friday refused to speak Danish during a
debate in the Danish parliament and instead spoke in her native Inuit language,
frustrating uncomprehending lawmakers and highlighting strained relations
between Denmark and Greenland. Aki-Matilda Hoegh-Dam, one of two members of the
Danish parliament representing Greenland, held a nearly 7-minute long speech in
Greenlandic during a debate about relations between Denmark and Greenland. Hoegh-Dam
refused after the speaker of the parliament encouraged her to repeat her speech
in Danish.
Greenland, a Danish colony until 1953 when it became a formal
part of the Kingdom of Denmark, has its own official Inuit language, but Danish
is still taught in schools. The two languages are nothing alike. Relations
between Denmark and Greenland have soured recently following revelations of
misconduct by Danish authorities in Greenland during the 20th century,
including the involuntary fitting of birth controls in some Greenlandic women
during the 1960s and 1970s.
In comments to Reuters after the debate, Hoegh-Dam said her
speech had focused on the recent revelations. "I don't understand why it
is so odious to be allowed to speak what is categorized as the official
language of Greenland, which is my constituency," Hoegh-Dam said.
In 2009, Greenland was granted broad self-governing autonomy,
including the right to declare independence from Denmark. "We are no
longer afraid to speak out. We are not afraid to use our voice and our
language. The spirit of change is here, and the next step in the right
direction would be state formation," she told Reuters. Last week,
Greenland's government presented its first draft constitution to its
parliament. "This is a difficult dialogue. I know that the speaker was
born in Denmark and speaks fluent Danish," MP Karsten Honge said during
the debate. Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen, who also attended the debate, was
seen looking nonplussed around the room.
^ If Greenlandic is an Official Language and Greenland is still
part of the Kingdom of Denmark then Greenlandic should be allowed to be used in
the Danish Parliament alongside Danish. The Danish Government needs to move
away from the “Colonizer Mentality” and move towards one of inclusion. They
should also have Live Translations available so anyone can use any Official
Language of Denmark (Danish, Greenlandic and Faroese.) ^
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