Voyage of traditional skills in Greenland in August 2024

Together with our international partners, we organize a sailing voyage for maintaining traditional skills in Greenland for local children and young people, as well as for 1-2 participants from the other side of the globe: the Kawésqar indigenous community. Representatives of the indigenous people from the coast of Chile join this voyage to discuss the similarities between the small indigenous peoples who inhabit some the farthest corners of the world. The Kawésqar - indigenous people consists of about 500 people and they inhabit the coast of Chile, their small settlements include Puerto Edén, Puerto Natales, Punta Arenas, Porvenir and Puerto Williams. 

The Iivit or Tunumiit people of about 3,000 inhabitants live in East Greenland, mainly distributed in the regions of Ammassalik and Ittoqqoortoormiit. They speak the Tunumiisut language, which is different from the language used in West Greenland. Hunting, fishing, dog sledding and handicrafts made from natural materials are still an integral part of the culture, but maintaining these skills is important - climate change and cultural and environmental change is particularly fast in the remote Arctic regions. Our local, Greenlandic partner Dines Tours has local guide experience and is particularly distinguished in passing on traditional skills between generations.

The purpose of the voyage is to discuss and learn in practice about natural materials, such as skins, leather, sea reeds and the related traditional skills, as well as non-motorized navigation - both the Kawéesqar and Tunumiit peoples have a strong bond with canoes, kayaks and their manufacture from natural materials. The voyage will be taking place on board sailing vessel Byr, which is a sailing vessel registered in Iceland, equipped with manual, traditional rigging, whose Icelandic-Finnish crew has been sailing in East Greenland for more than a decade. 

The project is financed by the Global Greengrants Fund

Associated partners: