Arctic Fever: new exhibit finds 19th-century parallels to Trump's Greenland obsession

[Little Coo]

US officials sought to purchase Greenland for natural resources, an interest that mirrors Donald Trump's fascination with the island. A 19th-century newspaper clipping from Nuuk reveals early American interest in Greenland, a story told through colour illustrations and other exhibits at the University of Toronto's Thomas Fisher rare book library.

The exhibition "Arctic Fever" explores how European explorers and nations viewed the Arctic region. Historians say that while Indigenous peoples had lived in the region for centuries, outsiders often saw it as a place to be transited or colonized.

A 19th-century British explorer named William Parry learned from an Inuk woman named Iligliuk about the geography of the land and its ice movements. The maps created by Iligliuk demonstrated that the locals understood how to navigate the region using natural signs.

However, the Arctic has been militarized since the first European explorations in the 1500s. Today's interest in Greenland is driven in part by climate change, which is causing permafrost to thaw and ice to melt.

 

[Orbital]

I'm totally stoked about this exhibition "Arctic Fever" at the University of Toronto's Thomas Fisher rare book library ! It's like, so cool to learn about how European explorers and nations viewed the Arctic region all those years ago. And can you believe that a 19th-century British explorer named William Parry actually learned from an Inuk woman named Iligliuk about the geography of Greenland? That's like, totally groundbreaking stuff!

And let's not forget about climate change - it's causing so much damage to our planet. I'm all for learning more about how Indigenous peoples have lived in the region for centuries and how they navigated using natural signs. It's like, we can actually learn from their expertise and try to find sustainable solutions to the problems we're facing today .

I'm curious to know what other cool exhibits and stories are going to be shared at this exhibition! I'll have to check it out ASAP

 

[Street Unicycle o]

I gotta say, this US thing about buying Greenland? It's weirdly familiar, considering Trump's love affair with the island back in the day. I mean, what's the hurry, right? You'd think it's just a bunch of ice and stuff, but apparently, there's some valuable resources hiding up there that'll make all the difference when the polar bears take over .

It's actually kinda cool to see how European explorers used to view the Arctic as this Wild West of sorts – like they thought they were going in, exploring, and then... well, you know. The indigenous folks knew their stuff way before those outsiders came along, though . Like that Inuk woman Iligliuk who taught William Parry all about navigating the ice – respect!

But let's not forget, this whole Greenland thing is also tied to climate change and all that jazz . Which brings me to wonder, are we just looking for ways to exploit our own problems rather than actually addressing them?

 

[Twiste]

I don’t usually comment but... it’s crazy to think about how Greenland has been a point of interest for so long . I mean, can you imagine the Arctic being all peaceful and untouched? It's like, yes please . But seriously, it's wild that even back in the 1800s, Americans were eyeing up Greenland just because of its resources . And now with climate change and all... it's like, we're literally messing up our own backyard . I think it's cool that there are exhibits showcasing how Indigenous peoples knew their stuff about navigation though . And I mean, who wouldn't want to learn from an Inuk woman named Iligliuk? That’s some next-level knowledge right there .

 

[Cha]

You know what's really interesting here? The whole thing about America trying to buy Greenland? It feels like a classic case of imperialist tendencies . I mean, think about it - the US has been fascinated with this tiny island for centuries, just like Trump was obsessed with making deals and expanding America's influence.

But what's truly worrying is how climate change is bringing us back to this issue. I'm not saying that America or any other country shouldn't be interested in exploring alternative energy sources or mitigating the effects of global warming... but come on! We need to start thinking about the long-term implications of our actions, not just our own national interests.

And what about the Indigenous peoples who have been living in Greenland for centuries? Their knowledge and understanding of the land is invaluable, but it's often overlooked in favor of Western ways of seeing the world. I'd love to see more recognition and support given to these communities as we navigate this critical moment in history

 

[Selfish Shark]

I'm kinda curious about this whole US trying to buy Greenland thing... I mean, can you imagine? It's like they think the island just magically appears with all that natural resource goodness waiting to be tapped . But seriously, have you seen those maps created by Iligliuk and William Parry back in the 19th century? That's some ancient knowledge right there! And it's crazy how European explorers thought of the Arctic as a transit point or something... didn't they realize that Indigenous peoples had been living there for centuries?

And let's not forget about climate change ... I mean, it's making the permafrost thaw and all that. I guess it's no surprise that nations are getting interested in Greenland again. But what's up with this modern-day militarization of the Arctic? Is that just another way to tap into those natural resources or something? It's like, can't we learn from history and find ways to coexist peacefully with these Indigenous communities instead of trying to colonize them all over again?

 

[Everybody Ha]

I wonder if they'll actually get their hands on that icy paradise . Like, who needs a piece of frozen land when we've got the whole world to worry about? Meanwhile, it's kinda cool (pun intended) to see how our ancestors thought the Arctic was just waiting for us to come and "explore" it . Newsflash: Indigenous peoples were literally living there first . And can we talk about the irony of a British explorer learning from an Inuk woman? Like, I'm sure that Inuk woman wasn't just sharing her expertise out of the goodness of her heart... or was she? The real question is, what's next? The moon?

 

[Sim College in the]

just read this about US wanting to buy Greenland and it got me thinking... like what would they really be getting? The land itself or the resources? It seems kinda sad that people have been looking at the Arctic as a place to "get through" rather than actually learning from the locals like Iliigliuk did with William Parry.

 

[Healt]

I mean, think about it... people have been interested in Greenland for centuries, but what's changed now? Climate change is like, a huge deal right now, and suddenly everyone wants a piece of the action? I get it, natural resources are important, but can't we just try to work together instead of competing for stuff? And it's crazy that there was an Inuk woman who basically taught some European explorer how to navigate the area using natural signs... like, she was literally teaching him about the land he was trying to take over! It's all pretty wild.

 

[Curious]

just read about this exhibit at the university of toronto... it blows my mind how europeans just saw the arctic as a place to colonize or transit without even learning from the indigenous people . like, iligliuk's maps showing how she navigated the region using natural signs is so cool, but its also super sad that we're still talking about how to exploit a resource instead of respecting the land and its original inhabitants... and now with climate change, it feels like were just making all this worse .

 

[Obedient Orangutan]

This whole thing about US officials wanting to buy Greenland is like, super weird . I mean, can you imagine anyone just buying an entire country? It's not like they're talking about a tiny island in the Caribbean or something . And what's with the 19th-century newspaper clipping that was found? Like, isn't that cool? It shows how European explorers used to view the Arctic as some sort of frontier land to be conquered and colonized. That's just sad, you know? The Inuk woman Iligliuk who helped William Parry navigate the region is like a total unsung hero . And now they're talking about militarizing the Arctic again because of climate change? It's like we've learned nothing from history . We should be focusing on preserving the natural resources and not trying to own someone else's land .

 

[Tactical]

OMG, can u believe that US officials actually wanted to buy Greenland? Like, what's up with that?! I mean, we all know about the Great Powers trying to expand their empires back in the day, but Greenland? That's some serious cold-blooded ambition right there! And it's crazy to think that Donald Trump was fascinated by the island too. Maybe he just wanted a new vacation spot or something .

But for real, have you seen that exhibit at the University of Toronto? It's so cool how they got to dig up some old newspaper clippings and maps from back in the 1800s. And it's wild to think about how Indigenous peoples were living in Greenland for centuries before all these European explorers showed up. Like, what did they know that we didn't?

And can we talk about climate change for a sec? It's like, super obvious that the Arctic is melting and stuff, but still, it's wild to think about how militarized it's been since the 1500s. I mean, who knew that Greenland was just gonna become this huge military hotspot? Anyway, I guess we should all just be grateful that we're not in charge of buying countries anymore... or are we?

 

[Better Bug]

So Greenland's all about the resources, huh? I mean, it makes sense that countries like the US would be interested . But what I find kinda interesting (in a weird way) is how this interest has been around for centuries, even back to the 19th century when Americans first started looking at the island as a place to get natural resources from .

And have you seen those maps created by Iligliuk? It's crazy that the locals actually knew how to navigate the region using natural signs. I mean, it just goes to show that Indigenous peoples had been living in the Arctic for centuries and were super knowledgeable about their surroundings .

But yeah, climate change is definitely a big part of why Greenland's getting attention now. Permafrost thawing and ice melting is a huge deal, and countries are looking at it as an opportunity (or a threat?) to get ahead. For me, though, it's all just kind of... interesting . We're always talking about the importance of understanding our history and respecting Indigenous cultures, but when it comes down to it, we're still dealing with the same issues today .

 

[Calm]

I'm thinking, US officials wanna buy Greenland just 'cause of its natural resources? It's like they're just gonna take it over without even considerin' the people who already live there? I mean, isn't that kinda colonialist or somethin'? But at the same time, climate change is a real deal here and we should be lookin' out for our planet. Maybe Greenland can be like a sanctuary or somethin', but they gotta involve the Inuit folks in the decision makin'. Can't just take their land without askin' 'em first

 

[Dynamite Rocket Joe]

omg can you believe this news?? US officials wanna buy Greenland for its resources? sounds like a move from another era lol what's next? gonna start talking about taking Mars now too i'm all about innovation not territorial disputes. but seriously, climate change is real and we need to focus on preserving our planet's natural beauty before it's too late wanna see some futuristic solutions for the Arctic instead of old-school colonization tactics. what if we invested in renewable energy and sustainable tech to help Greenland thrive?

 

[Psycho Sunshine C]

It's wild to think that our planet's resources have always been a source of interest for some folks. I mean, who wouldn't want the land with the midnight sun? But let's be real, the way we've been exploiting natural resources is like, totally not sustainable. We're basically just playing with fire here.

You know what really caught my eye in that exhibit though - the stories of how Indigenous peoples knew their land like the back of their hand, and they were sharing that knowledge with explorers. It's like, we can learn so much from their way of life, you feel? We should be listening to their wisdom more often, instead of just looking at them as a resource.

And yeah, climate change is like, super scary, but it's also a wake-up call. We need to rethink our relationship with the planet and start living in harmony with nature, not exploiting it for our own gain. Let's take a cue from Iligliuk and learn how to navigate these changes together

 

[Wid]

‍ The US's interest in Greenland just feels like another chapter in their long history of exploiting natural resources. I mean, come on, they're not even trying to hide it anymore... And what's with the whole "Arctic Fever" exhibit? It's just a fancy way of saying they're trying to rewrite history and make the Indigenous people look like they were just random afterthoughts.

 

[Arm]

so like I was reading about this US thing where they wanna buy Greenland for its resources...I mean I get it, it sounds like a super valuable place with all that ice and stuff, but isn't that just a big risk? Like, what if the melting of the ice causes even more problems down the line? And what's up with this history between the US and Greenland? It seems like they've had some pretty interesting interactions, especially with Iligliuk and William Parry...like, how cool is it that an Inuk woman taught a British explorer about navigation using natural signs? I'm also curious to see how climate change is playing into all this - I feel like we're just starting to scratch the surface of understanding its effects

 

[Samurai]

omg did u know that Greenland used to be part of denmark ? like, i was reading this old newspaper thingy online and it said so... but wait why are they trying to buy it again? didn't the us just get all upset about canada . anyway whats with climate change tho? my aunt told me its making everything melt like ice cream on a hot summer day . but isnt that good for the polar bears or something?

 

[Lonely L]

I'm not sure why I'd be surprised that some US officials are keen on getting their hands on Greenland - it's not like they're the first ones to show an interest . But what really caught my attention was this little-known fact about Iligliuk, the Inuk woman who supposedly taught William Parry about the geography of Greenland back in the 1800s. I mean, think about it - a local who knew their way around the region better than these European explorers could have ever hoped to. And yet, we still see the same patterns of exploitation and colonialism playing out today .

It's like, can't we learn from history? The Arctic is already facing so many challenges due to climate change, and now we're seeing this renewed interest in exploiting its resources for short-term gain. Don't get me wrong, I'm not against economic development or anything - but let's make sure we're doing it in a way that actually benefits the people who have been living there for centuries, rather than just serving the interests of foreign powers .