When Morgan Angaju Josefsen Røjkjær touched down in East Greenland for the first time last year, the locals were taken aback — the journey had unfolded flawlessly, without a hitch. However, his return trip six weeks later would tell a different story, one marked by frustration and delays. Morgan made five attempts to leave the remote region within a single week.
“At one point, we found ourselves at the airport, waiting for updates, only to be informed that pilots were being redirected to the west coast due to challenges there,” he recounted. “Meanwhile, the rest of us—locals and tourists alike—were left wondering about our own situation.”
Morgan Angaju, a dedicated guide and co-owner of the Dogsled and Ice Academy in Ilulissat along with his partner Jørgen Kristensen, felt compelled to raise his voice about the dire conditions in East Greenland. He took to social media, sharing his concerns with nearly 15,000 followers on Instagram.
“The locals have been vocal about the issues here, but they often feel unheard,” he explained. “I thought, if I can help shine a light on these challenges, I have to do it.”
### A Threat to Livelihoods
Raised in Denmark by Greenlandic parents, Morgan first visited Greenland in 2014 and fell in love with its beauty. “I adore Greenland in all its facets, but East Greenland is especially raw and untouched. It’s a place where you can venture to spots that others haven’t explored,” he shared, his admiration evident in his voice. He describes the landscape as “magical,” its inhabitants as “proud and incredibly resilient.”
That resilience has been put to the test recently, as technical issues have grounded helicopters that serve the Kulusuk-Tasiilaq route.
“They feel like nothing is being done to alleviate their struggles,” Morgan lamented. “I’ve seen how busy we are with tourists in Ilulissat, given that it’s peak season for winter tourism and dog sledding. Many in Tasiilaq depend on this influx for their livelihoods. I simply don’t understand why it’s acceptable for them to be cut off from tourists.”
He continued, “They’re doing their absolute best to navigate these hurdles, yet they keep getting hit with the reality of malfunctioning helicopters.”
He described how some tour operators have resorted to snowmobiling from Tasiilaq to the ice edge, only to take a boat across the fjord and then snowmobile back to the airport just to transport tourists. “My heart aches for them. These are fundamental services that simply must function.”
### A New Reality for West Greenland
As Morgan attempts to convey the pressing issues facing East Greenland to his friends, he quickly realizes how foreign these challenges are to many. “During my stay, the internet went down three or four times for several consecutive days. When I returned home and shared this, people were astounded.”
He noted that intense storms, known as Piteraq, are frequent yet not widely recognized. “Many workplaces in East Greenland have had to shut down due to these ongoing challenges, leaving residents with the stark choice of moving to Nuuk. But that doesn’t sit well with them; they love their homes.”
Morgan felt it was crucial to raise awareness about these pressing issues. “I see my friends in East Greenland discussing these topics, but very little of that conversation occurs here,” he noted. “They’ve expressed gratitude for my post and for bringing these problems to light. I’ve received messages from people who were completely unaware of the scope of the challenges.”
### The Crisis Is Upon Us
Morgan hopes that discussions about East Greenland’s struggles will gain traction. “I aim to articulate these challenges more clearly through my posts. We need to amplify these voices so that the dialogue extends throughout Greenland,” he urged.
He emphasized that politicians also bear responsibility in this matter. “During the recent Inatsisartut election campaign, several candidates spoke about a crisis in East Greenland. But I believe the crisis is already upon us. When basic needs aren’t being met and people’s livelihoods are at stake, we are in dire straits,” he concluded.