Latest news with #AvannaataQimussersua
New York Times
29-03-2025
- Politics
- New York Times
No Second Lady, No Problem: Greenland's Dog Sled Race Goes Barking On
At the foot of glistening Mount Nasaasaaq — 'the king of the mountains' — in Sisimiut, Greenland, hundreds of spectators bundled in bright jackets, insulated pants and heavy boots lined a snow-packed trail on Saturday waiting for the racers to glide past. The low sun glinted off the ice. The snow squeaked underfoot, fine and dry like sifted flour. Red and white Greenlandic flags popped up everywhere — from poles, tucked into hoods, flapping in mittened hands. For more than three decades, Greenland has held a national dog sledding championship — the Avannaata Qimussersua, which means, in Greenlandic language, 'The Great Race of the North.' This year the event brought together more than 25 mushers — including a pretty tough 14-year-old boy — and at least 400 dogs. It's a tradition deeply rooted in the country's culture, where dogs are not just animals, but partners in survival. And usually, the race doesn't attract much international attention. But this year it was swept into a major geopolitical storm when the White House announced that Usha Vance, the wife of Vice President JD Vance, and one of their sons would attend. With Greenlanders gearing up to protest, Ms. Vance ended up canceling her trip. Ms. Vance had tried to frame her visit as a gesture of cultural appreciation. The Greenlanders didn't buy it. President Trump has been fixated on taking over Greenland — a semiautonomous territory of Denmark — and has steadily ratcheted up his talk to 'get it, one way or the other,' as he has said. Many Greenlanders (and Danes) saw the visit as a threat. The race organizers quickly issued a pointed statement saying the Vances had not been invited. A spokeswoman for Ms. Vance denied this, saying the second lady had received 'multiple invitations.' Ms. Vance, along with her husband and some other officials, did come to Greenland, but ending up spending less than three hours on Friday at the Pituffik Space Base, a remote American missile defense station on Greenland's northern coast, miles from any town. The race, though, went on, just as planned. For the competitors, it was the culmination of years of daily care, discipline and deep mutual understanding between human and dog. On Saturday afternoon, a voice crackled over the loudspeaker with updates on the competitors' progress as they cut across the grueling 26-mile course. Children bounced to stay warm. In the distance, sharp barks echoed across the mountain. 'We're not trying to impress anyone,' said Inuna Davidsen, a spectator who was alertly waiting for the sleds to appear. 'We just want to stay close to nature and to each other.' Like many others here, she saw the event not only as a competition but as a gathering — a space where people from distant settlements meet, celebrate and reconnect in the snow. Sisimiut, which hosted the race this year, is the second largest town in Greenland, with a population of around 5,000. Mikaela Eliassen, an entrepreneur from Sisimiut, was standing by the finish line with her children. She said she was a little disappointed that the Vances didn't come. 'We never get visitors,' she said. 'So when we finally heard someone important was coming here, I was excited.' Greenlanders have been working with sled dogs for hundreds of years. They used them to travel to faraway villages and to hunt seals and reindeer. In 1968 when a U.S. nuclear-armed bomber crashed through the ice near what is now the Pituffik base, sled dog teams were called in to help with the cleanup. The dogs' ability to move across the fragile ice made them essential to the efforts. Today, dogs are still important, assisting Greenlanders in ice fishing, hauling supplies, taking tourists for a ride and even delivering mail. Only one breed is permitted in the Arctic region of Greenland: the purebred Greenlandic sled dog. This breed has evolved over centuries to work in the cold, and, the thinking goes, any mixing could hurt its hardiness. A former musher herself, Ms. Eliassen started driving sleds at age 6. 'Dog sledding is not just a sport,' she said. 'It teaches responsibility, patience and respect.' 'They say the musher whose dogs respect him most is the one who wins,' she added. As the first sled crested the final ridge and came into view, the crowd erupted. Henrik Jensen, a 26-year-old musher from Ilulissat in northern Greenland, broke the finish line — his face wind-burned, his dogs frosted with ice and foam but still pulling strong. His supporters surged forward. Some were dressed in matching black jackets with 'Team Henrik' emblazoned across their backs. As he sat on his sled, grinning and stunned, a group of fans lifted the wooden sled high into the air — dogs still barking and twisting in their harnesses, energized by the roar of the crowd. 'I've been preparing for this for years,' he said, his father smiling proudly with a hand on his shoulder. And if any Americans were tuning in, he said, that's a good thing. 'It's great that you're following along,' he said. 'There should be room for everyone here.'
USA Today
28-03-2025
- Politics
- USA Today
With jokes about Polar Bear plunges and Trump interest, JD and Usha Vance land in Greenland
With jokes about Polar Bear plunges and Trump interest, JD and Usha Vance land in Greenland "As you've heard, we may have some interest in Greenland from the Trump administration," Vance told troops. Show Caption Hide Caption JD and Usha Vance head to Greenland in scaled-back visit The vice president and second lady departed for Greenland in a scaled-back visit that was initially planned for just Usha Vance and her son. Vice President JD Vance and other senior Trump administration officials arrived at a U.S. military base in Greenland on Friday − hundreds of miles away from any Greenlandic officials or a major civilian population. Vance, his wife, Usha; national security adviser Mike Waltz; and energy secretary Chris Wright traveled to the Danish territory as President Donald Trump continues to openly talk about acquiring Greenland. At the base, Vance cracked jokes about the cold and troops undertaking a "polar bear plunge," a dunk in Greenland's icy waters. "As you've heard, we may have some interest in Greenland from the Trump administration," he told troops. The visit has raised eyebrows. Vance goes to Greenland: VP's trip raises questions over Trump bid for island Friday's trip is a scaled-back version of an excursion that was supposed to see the second lady and one of the Vances' sons attend cultural events, a dog-sledding race and spend time talking to Greenlanders in the capital Nuuk. The high-powered U.S. delegation revised its itinerary amid a backlash from Greenlandic and Danish officials because of Trump's repeated comments. Here's what you need to know about the scrambled trip and what threatened to be a frosty reception. Why did the U.S. change its Greenland plans? The initial plan called for the second lady to visit the Avannaata Qimussersua, a popular dog-sled race, together with Waltz. But they were not invited by official authorities in either Greenland or Denmark. They were invited by a private sponsor of the race and the dog-sledding association. Officials in both places said the visit appeared like an effort to meddle in the island's internal politics and rally support for closer U.S. ties. Greenland's outgoing Prime Minister Mute Egede called the visit a "provocation," partly because the territory had not yet, when the trip was announced, formed a new government after a March 11 election. A pro-business party that emerged as the winner of the vote formally announced a coalition on Friday, led by Jens-Frederik Nielsen. What will the Vances do in Greenland now? The American delegation was expected to fly directly to the U.S. Space Force base at Pituffik in the remote northern part of the Arctic island, about 750 miles from the North Pole. There, they will receive a briefing on security issues and meet with U.S. service members. The vice president will deliver remarks. Utah Sen. Mike Lee and Waltz's wife, Julia Nesheiwat, a former Department of Homeland Security advisor, were also on the trip, according to the White House. It was expected to be a day visit. Pituffik Space Base has about 650 personnel. This includes U.S. Air Force and Space Force members, as well as Canadian, Danish and Greenlandic civilian contractors. Some Greenlandic and Danish media reports suggested that one of the reasons why the White House downgraded the trip to a single day was because they had a hard time finding locals willing to greet the second lady. One travel agency based in Nuuk said it rescinded its offer to receive the second lady after initially saying it would. "After closer consideration," the travel agency based in Nuuk said in a Facebook post, "we have now informed the (U.S.) consulate that we do not want her visit, as we cannot accept the underlying agenda and will not be part of the press show that of course, comes with it." The firm added: 'Greenland belongs to the Greenlanders.' 'No, thank you': Greenland residents asked if they want to greet Usha Vance There were also protests planned at the dog-sledding race, according to Martin Breum, a Danish journalist and author who specializes in Greenland and Arctic affairs and is currently in Nuuk. He said protesters intended to turn their backs at the second lady at the event Saturday in Sisimiut, Greenland's second-largest city. Why does Trump want to control Greenland? A longstanding defense agreement between the U.S. and Denmark gave the U.S. the right to construct military bases in Greenland and move around the island freely, provided Denmark and Greenland are notified. Trump: Greenland officials invited US delegation. Not true, says Greenland But Trump says − and Denmark rejects − the U.S. needs to exert more control over the territory so it can expand a ballistic missile warning system capable of shooting down missiles from American adversaries. Greenland also boasts mineral, oil and natural gas wealth. There are mining companies operating in Greenland. They are mostly Australian, Canadian or British. The White House wants more U.S. companies to operate in Greenland so they can provide the U.S. with so-called rare earth minerals used in the production of cellphones, electric vehicles and other technology and defense systems. The U.S. currently gets most of its rare earths from China. Who invited the Vances to Greenland? According to his own admission, it was Tom Dans, a former member of the U.S. Arctic Research Commission during Trump's first presidency, who invited the U.S. delegation. Dans runs a company called American Daybreak that promotes closer U.S.-Greenland business ties. He said the visit would help the Trump administration understand where it could collaborate further with Greenland. USAID cuts fallout: Wasted food, 'free-for-all' ISIS camps, less HIV prevention Dans was also a sponsor of the dog-sled race, along with the U.S. State Department, according to an NPR report. The outlet said the State Department provided a grant to transport the dogs, sleds and racers by air from around Greenland for the race. NPR noted that the grant, which it reported was in the "range of tens of thousands of dollars," came at a time when Secretary of State Marco Rubio has cancelled more than 80% of foreign aid grants.
USA Today
28-03-2025
- Politics
- USA Today
Vances set for Greenland visit amid raised eyebrows, no dogs, few Greenlanders
Vances set for Greenland visit amid raised eyebrows, no dogs, few Greenlanders Show Caption Hide Caption JD and Usha Vance head to Greenland in scaled-back visit The vice president and second lady departed for Greenland in a scaled-back visit that was initially planned for just Usha Vance and her son. Vice President JD Vance and other senior Trump administration officials were due to visit a U.S. military base in Greenland on Friday − hundreds of miles away from any Greenlandic officials or a major civilian population. Vance, his wife, Usha; national security adviser Mike Waltz; and energy secretary Chris Wright were traveling to the Danish territory as President Donald Trump continues to openly talk about acquiring Greenland. The visit has raised eyebrows. Vance goes to Greenland: VP's trip raises questions over Trump bid for island Friday's trip is a scaled-back version of an excursion that was supposed to see the second lady and one of the Vances' sons attend cultural events, a dog-sledding race and spend time talking to Greenlanders in the capital Nuuk. The high-powered U.S. delegation revised its itinerary amid a backlash from Greenlandic and Danish officials because of Trump's repeated comments. Here's what you need to know about the scrambled trip and what threatened to be a frosty reception. Why did the U.S. change its Greenland plans? The initial plan called for the second lady to visit the Avannaata Qimussersua, a popular dog-sled race, together with Waltz. But they were not invited by official authorities in either Greenland or Denmark. Officials in both places said the visit appeared like an effort to meddle in the island's internal politics and rally support for closer U.S. ties. Greenland's outgoing Prime Minister Mute Egede called the visit a "provocation," partly because the territory had not yet, when the trip was announced, formed a new government after a March 11 election. A pro-business party that emerged as the winner of the vote formally announced a coalition on Friday, led by Jens-Frederik Nielsen. What will the Vances do in Greenland now? The American delegation was expected to fly directly to the U.S. Space Force base at Pituffik in the remote northern part of the Arctic island, about 750 miles from the North Pole. There, they will receive a briefing on security issues and meet with U.S. service members. The vice president will deliver remarks. Utah Sen. Mike Lee and Waltz's wife, Julia Nesheiwat, a former Department of Homeland Security advisor, were also on the trip, according to the White House. It was expected to be a day visit. Pituffik Space Base has about 650 personnel. This includes U.S. Air Force and Space Force members, as well as Canadian, Danish and Greenlandic civilian contractors. Some Greenlandic and Danish media reports suggested that one of the reasons why the White House downgraded the trip to a single day was because they had a hard time finding locals willing to greet the second lady. One travel agency based in Nuuk said it rescinded its offer to receive the second lady after initially saying it would. "After closer consideration," the travel agency based in Nuuk said in a Facebook post, "we have now informed the (U.S.) consulate that we do not want her visit, as we cannot accept the underlying agenda and will not be part of the press show that of course, comes with it." The firm added: 'Greenland belongs to the Greenlanders.' 'No, thank you': Greenland residents asked if they want to greet Usha Vance There were also protests planned at the dog-sledding race, according to Martin Breum, a Danish journalist and author who specializes in Greenland and Arctic affairs and is currently in Nuuk. He said protesters intended to turn their backs at the second lady at the event Saturday in Sisimiut, Greenland's second-largest city. Why does Trump want to control Greenland? A longstanding defense agreement between the U.S. and Denmark gave the U.S. the right to construct military bases in Greenland and move around the island freely, provided Denmark and Greenland are notified. Trump: Greenland officials invited US delegation. Not true, says Greenland But Trump says − and Denmark rejects − the U.S. needs to exert more control over the territory so it can expand a ballistic missile warning system capable of shooting down missiles from American adversaries. Greenland also boasts mineral, oil and natural gas wealth. There are mining companies operating in Greenland. They are mostly Australian, Canadian or British. The White House wants more U.S. companies to operate in Greenland so they can provide the U.S. with so-called rare earth minerals used in the production of cellphones, electric vehicles and other technology and defense systems. The U.S. currently gets most of its rare earths from China. Who invited the Vances to Greenland? According to his own admission, it was Tom Dans, a former member of the U.S. Arctic Research Commission during Trump's first presidency, who invited the U.S. delegation. Dans runs a company called American Daybreak that promotes closer U.S.-Greenland business ties. He said the visit would help the Trump administration understand where it could collaborate further with Greenland. USAID cuts fallout: Wasted food, 'free-for-all' ISIS camps, less HIV prevention Dans was also a sponsor of the dog-sled race, along with the U.S. State Department, according to an NPR report. The outlet said the State Department provided a grant to transport the dogs, sleds and racers by air from around Greenland for the race. NPR noted that the grant, which it reported was in the "range of tens of thousands of dollars," came at a time when Secretary of State Marco Rubio has cancelled more than 80% of foreign aid grants.
Yahoo
28-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Vances set for Greenland visit amid raised eyebrows, no dogs, few Greenlanders
Vice President JD Vance and other senior Trump administration officials were due to visit a U.S. military base in Greenland on Friday − hundreds of miles away from any Greenlandic officials or a major civilian population. Vance, his wife, Usha; national security adviser Mike Waltz; and energy secretary Chris Wright were traveling to the the Danish territory as President Donald Trump continues to openly talk about acquiring Greenland. The visit has raised eyebrows. Friday's trip is a scaled-back version that was supposed to see the second lady and her son attend cultural events, a dog-sledding race and spend time talking to Greenlanders in the capital Nuuk. The high-powered U.S. delegation revised its itinerary amid a backlash from Greenlandic and Danish officials because of Trump's repeated comments. Here's what you need to know about the scrambled trip and what threatened to be a frosty reception. The initial plan called for the second lady to visit the Avannaata Qimussersua, a popular dog-sled race, together with Waltz. But they were not invited by official authorities in either Greenland or Denmark. Officials in both places said the visit appeared like an effort to meddle in the island's internal politics and rally support for closer U.S. ties. Vance goes to Greenland: trip raises questions over Trump bid for island Greenland's Prime Minister Mute Egede called the visit a "provocation," partly because the territory has not yet formed a new local government after a March 11 election, though a pro-business party that emerged as the winner of the vote was poised to formally announce a coalition Friday, Greenland's public broadcaster KNR reported. The American delegation was expected to fly directly to the U.S. Space Force base at Pituffik in the remote northern part of the Arctic island, about 750 miles away from the North Pole. While there, they will receive a briefing on security issues and meet with U.S. service members. It's unclear if one of the Vances' sons will still travel with them. Pituffik Space Base has about 650 personnel. This includes U.S. Air Force and Space Force members, as well as Canadian, Danish and Greenlandic civilian contractors. Some Greenlandic and Danish media reports suggested that one of the reasons why the White House downgraded the trip to a single day was because they had a hard time finding locals willing to greet the second lady. One travel agency based in Nuuk said it rescinded its offer to receive the second lady after initially saying it would. 'No, thank you': Greenland residents asked if they want to greet Usha Vance "After closer consideration," the travel agency based in Nuuk said in a Facebook post, "we have now informed the (U.S.) consulate that we do not want her visit, as we cannot accept the underlying agenda and will not be part of the press show that of course, comes with it." The firm added: 'Greenland belongs to the Greenlanders.' There were also protests planned at the dog-sledding race, according to Martin Breum, a Danish journalist and author who specializes in Greenland and Arctic affairs and is currently in Nuuk. He said protesters intended to turn their backs at the second lady at the event Saturday in Sisimiut, Greenland's second-largest city. A longstanding defense agreement between the U.S. and Denmark gave the U.S. the right to construct military bases in Greenland and move around the island freely, provided Denmark and Greenland are notified. Trump: Greenland officials invited US delegation. Not true, says Greenland But Trump says − and Denmark rejects − the U.S. needs to exert more control over the territory so it can expand a ballistic missile warning system capable of shooting down missiles from American adversaries. Greenland also boasts mineral, oil and natural gas wealth. There are mining companies operating in Greenland. They are mostly Australian, Canadian or British. The White House wants more U.S. companies to operate in Greenland so they can provide the U.S. with so-called rare earth minerals used in the production of cellphones, electric vehicles and other technology and defense systems. The U.S. currently gets most of its rare earths from China. According to his own admission, it was Tom Dans, a former member of the U.S. Arctic Research Commission during Trump's first presidency, who invited the U.S. delegation. Dans runs a company called American Daybreak that promotes closer U.S.-Greenland business ties. Dans said the visit would help the Trump administration understand where it could collaborate further with Greenland. USAID cuts fallout: Wasted food, 'free-for-all' ISIS camps, less HIV prevention Dans was also a sponsor of the dog-sled race, along with the U.S. State Department, according to an NPR report. The outlet said the State Department provided a grant to transport the dogs, sleds and racers by air from around Greenland for the race. NPR noted that the grant, which it reported was in the "range of tens of thousands of dollars," came at a time when Secretary of State Marco Rubio has cancelled more than 80% of foreign aid grants. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Greenland prepares for visit from JD Vance, Usha Vance, Mike Waltz
Bloomberg
28-03-2025
- Sport
- Bloomberg
How Greenland's Sled Dogs Entered a Diplomatic Row
One of the biggest events in Greenland's sporting calendar starts with the sound of 400 barking sled dogs. Husky-sized, with dense fur like arctic foxes, the dogs howl in anticipation of the start of the race. And then they're off, sleds battling for the lead, dogs running over one another, their paws kicking up snow as mushers scramble to prevent a tangle of ropes. Avannaata Qimussersua, or 'The Great Race of the North,' rarely garners attention outside Greenland. Unlike Alaska's Iditarod or the Finnmarksløpet in Norway, the Avannaata Qimussersua is a 40-kilometer (25-mile) sprint, not a multi-day marathon. Last year, fur-clad announcers from the national broadcaster narrated the sleds' progress to thousands watching on YouTube. When winner Thomas Thygesen crossed the finish line after less than two hours, his dogs were greeted with a bucket of raw meat as a dozen or so onlookers lifted him and his sled above their heads.
