Ideas How Inuk activist Aaju Peter learned to 'decolonize' her mind
Sep 30, 2025
Aaju Peter, an Inuk activist, lawyer, and filmmaker from Greenland, opens up about her journey of decolonization after being taken from her community as a child. She shares the significance of reclaiming Inuit language and traditions while navigating life in Iqaluit. Aaju discusses the impact of her documentary, *Twice Colonized*, how grief has fueled her activism, and her vision for a united Inuit homeland. Through stories of communal living and cultural transmission, she emphasizes the importance of teaching these traditions to future generations.
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Reborn In Iqaluit
- Aaju Peter moved from Greenland to Iqaluit and was reborn by relearning Inuit culture and language.
- She describes Iqaluit as a welcoming community that taught her humility, kindness, and nonjudgmental ways.
Taken To Denmark As A Child
- As a child Aaju was sent to Denmark and learned multiple European languages instead of Greenlandic.
- She blamed herself for not speaking her own language until she realized the system intentionally removed it.
Twice Colonized As Strength
- "Twice colonized" describes being colonized in Greenland and again when moving into another colonized Inuit community.
- Aaju reframes the experience as strength, gaining languages and cultural perspectives she calls a superpower.