Greenland is the world’s most sparsely populated territory. With much of the Arctic island covered by ice, most of the population lives in Nuuk and the surrounding south-western coastline.
But it is strategically significant to the US – which is why it has had a military presence there since World War 2.
Greenland’s location between North America and the Arctic makes it well placed for early warning systems in the event of missile attacks.
More recently, there has also been increased interest in Greenland’s natural resources, including rare earth minerals, which are becoming easier to access as its ice melts due to climate change.
“It’s not fun being 56,000 people and having these threats – if you can call them that – from a giant like the US,” says Masaana Egede, editor of Greenlandic newspaper Sermitsiaq.
“The citizens of Greenland are nervous about this, because this is not something that we take lightly.”
Experts generally agree that a military takeover of Greenland would be an easy undertaking for the US – but that the geopolitical fallout would effectively end the Nato alliance.
After the issue of Greenland’s ownership was raised anew by the White House, six European allies issued a statement saying its future should be decided by its people – something Mia says she is grateful for.
But she worries this will matter little to the US “if it’s not backed with consequences and actions”.
“As a Greenlander, I can’t help but wonder: what are we worth to these allies? To what lengths are they willing to go to protect us?”
Tupaarnaq says: “Respect is about more than alliances on paper. When powerful nations talk about you instead of with you, that respect disappears very quickly.”