Land use, culture and economic development in Greenland and New Caledonia
The aim of this project is to investigate Indigenous understandings of self-determination and how they are shaped by conflicts over land use, culture and economic development in two cases: Greenland and New Caledonia. Both territories remain politically tied to Denmark and France, despite being entitled to independence and to form sovereign states. Their Indigenous populations face pressing challenges from climate change, extractive industries, and competing development models, making them critical cases to explore the connections between the right to self-determination and sustainable development.
Theoretically, the project departs from debates in legal and political theory on the nature of self-determination. In contrast to conventional theories that equate self-determination with independence and sovereign statehood, we hypothesize that Indigenous conceptions of self-determination are generated in response to challenges to their cultural integrity, the use of land and resources, and the economic development. Sovereignty may thus not be in focus but rather self-determination as the right for Indigenous peoples to decide on their own future.
Methodologically, the project combines qualitative fieldwork with innovative quantitative tools. Based on the fieldwork’s essential contextual knowledge (gathered through elite interviews, public documents and media debates), we perform paired conjoint survey experiments, where respondents evaluate different scenarios of self-determination. This method allows us to uncover not only attitudes towards self-determination, but also the relative weight assigned by respondents to competing goals, offering new insights into the priorities of Indigenous peoples themselves.
The expected results include a refined theoretical model of self-determination that responds to current environmental challenges. In addition, the project will use this model to identify institutional arrangements of direct policy relevance. Apart from scholarly publications and policy briefs, a unique feature of the project is filmmaking of the interviews, offering visual story-telling on Indigenous perspectives on self-determination to both policymakers and a broader public. In doing so, the project aims to promote democratic deliberation and to enhance Agenda 2030 goals on equality, climate action, and inclusive institutions that support Indigenous communities in articulating sustainable futures.
