Canada and Denmark have settled a decades-old border dispute over Hans Island, a 1.3-square-kilometer cliff in the Arctic Sea between Greenland and Ellesmere Island, sources say. The Inuit name for the island is Tartupaluk – describing its kidney-like shape – and under the agreement, borders will be drawn across the island, dividing it between Nunavut Canada and Greenland Denmark. The Canadians and Danes plan to unveil the settlement on June 14 and celebrate it as an example of how countries can resolve border disputes peacefully, even when Russia has disregarded the rule-based international order and launched a full-fledged one. scale military attack in Ukraine, sources say. The Globe and Mail did not identify the sources because they were not authorized to speak publicly about the matter. The dispute over the small island of Hans dates back to the early 1970s, when countries were negotiating their maritime borders. left the islet status for future negotiations. Aluki Kotierk, President of Nunavut Tunngavik Inc. (NTI), the Inuit of Nunavut’s legal representative on inherent treaty rights and treaty negotiation, said the dispute never bothered the Inuit. However, she welcomed the agreement. “The dispute between Canada and Denmark over Tartupaluk or the island of Hans has never caused problems for the Inuit. “Regardless, it is wonderful to see Canada and Denmark take action to resolve this border dispute,” Kotierk said in a statement. “As geographical neighbors with family ties, the Inuit in Nunavut and Greenland recognize the importance of working together for our common future. “NTI expects that this long-term relationship between the Inuit in Nunavut and Greenland will be a symbol of continued cooperation between Canada and Denmark.” He also noted the fundamental role that the Inuit played in strengthening Canada’s power in the Arctic. “Canada’s sovereignty over the Arctic is possible only because of the use and possession of the Inuit,” said Kotierk. Michael Byers, an Arctic expert and political scientist at the University of British Columbia, welcomed the news of an agreement. He said in 2022, when Russia violated Ukraine’s sovereignty, it was a perfect opportunity for Canada and Denmark to “clean up their own backyard and send a message to other countries.” The battles for Hans Island date back decades. In 1983, Canada licensed land to a Canadian oil company to set up a science camp on Hans Island to study how sea ice could affect drilling rigs, said Professor Byers. In 1984, Tom Hoyem, The Danish minister for Greenland then flew to Hans Island by helicopter and hoisted a Danish flag, prompting the Canadian government to issue a diplomatic protest, he added. Additional Danish-flagged factories – and Canadian protests – followed in 1988, 1995, 2002, 2003 and 2004, Professor Byers said. In 2000, a team of geologists from the Geographical Society of Canada visited the island, mapped its location and took geological samples. In 2004, the Wall Street Journal quoted Peter Taksoe-Jensen, a Danish foreign minister’s legal adviser, as saying that both countries maintained a sense of humor throughout the conflict: “When Danish soldiers go there, leave a bottle of snap. And when [Canadian] military forces come there, leave a bottle of Canadian Club [whisky] and a sign that says “Welcome to Canada.” ” In 2005, then-Secretary of Defense Bill Graham visited Hans Island to claim Canada. His voyage came shortly after Canadian military personnel visited the island and hoisted a Canadian flag and built an Inuit stone marker known as the inukshuk. Mr Hoyem, the former Danish minister, responded by writing a column in The Globe stating that, “Hans Island has been used for centuries by the Greenwich Inuit as an ideal asset for an overview of the state of the ice and hunting. prospects, especially for polar bears and seals. The Inuit Canadians have never used the island. “ Professor Byers said Canadians should remember that the Inuit in Greenland and Nunavut “are the same people and had no borders before the Europeans arrived”. He said he believed that the fact that Prime Minister Justin Trinto did not make Arctic rule part of his political signal helped create a situation where an agreement could be reached. “It’s a great example of how when you lower the political temperature, you can solve friction points.” The settlement means that for Canadians who can afford the many thousands of dollars it would cost to reach this island, Hans Island offers them a unique Canadian land border with Europe. “You will be able to go to Hans Island and go from Canada to Europe and return to Canada. “I can not imagine that there would be a border guard there,” said Professor Byers. He said the settlement, as far as he knows, has no impact on the surrounding maritime rights, because Canada and Denmark settled these issues in 1973. The Morning and Afternoon Newsletters are compiled by Globe editors, giving you a brief overview of the day’s most important headlines. Register today.
