Aasivissuit – Nipisat, Denmark

Aasivissuit – Nipisat. Inuit Hunting Ground between Ice and Sea covers 417,800 ha and is situated just north of the Arctic Circle in the central part of West Greenland.

The settlement of Sarfannguit is an active community, the fishing and hunting culture links the present sea and land use to the traditional, sustainable nomadic hunting societies of the Thule, Dorset and Saqqaq cultures.

For millennia, people in Aasivissuit – Nipisat have used the locally available resources and have adapted their lifestyles and homes to the seasonal rhythm.

Ruins of dwellings, graves and hunting features are preserved in their original settings, where they testify to the traditional seasonal migrations and variations in hunting practices throughout the year. This has been the case since the arrival of the first people around 2,500 BC.

The arctic landscape has a diversity of beautiful flowers and plants and many of them are important sources of vitamins in the traditional diet. They grow in a harsh area, like this Alpine Arnica (Arnica angustifolia) on the edge of the inland ice.

The interior has an interesting birdlife. Ptarmigan and raven are found here year round, while geese, duck, small passerines and birds of prey migrate south in autumn to overwinter elsewhere.

Aasivissuit – Nipisat is rich in caribou and muskox, which are very important to the local people. Aasivissuit is a multicomponent location with many different hunting functions, which include a 3.9 km caribou drive system, the largest known in Greenland, as well as traces of human settlement spanning several millennia.

The sea is filled with all kinds of sea animals, which have always been crucial for local survival. Fisher-hunter-gatherer cultures have created an organically evolved and continuing cultural landscape based on hunting of land and sea animals, seasonal migrations and settlement patterns, and a rich and well-preserved material and intangible cultural heritage.

Fly fishing and spin fishing with a local guide is possible to experience within the Aasivissuit – Nipiat area. Fishing in clear water in the wilderness in a remote mountain for arctic char is a dream.

Biking on the ice or in the remote mountains.

Dogsledding in the majestic surroundings of Aasivissuit – Nipisat is an integral part of Greenland’s culture.

Greenlandic culture is filled with mythology. The northern lights are dead souls playing football in the skies. If you whistle they will take your head and play football with it.

The World Heritage property contains seven key component sites, the main site being Aasivissuit. Aasivissuit – Nipisat is a huge area with traces of different cultures: Saqqaq Culture – c. 2400-500 BC, Greenlandic Dorset c. 800 BC-1 AD, Thule Culture 1250-1700 AD. Modern-day Greenlanders are direct descendants of the Thule culture. There are also traces of early colonization from the 18th Century (the Nepisene settlement was established in 1724).

Tent camp near the ice sheet in the easternmost part of the World Heritage area.
About 11700 years ago, the climate became warmer and the ice retreated, this is where the first people (the Saqqaq) hunted 4500 years ago. About 3500 years ago, the climate began to cool slightly and the ice margin advanced to its present day position.

Roasting Caribou steak during an autumn trip to the interior. The situation of the living fisher-hunter settlement of Sarfannguit within the World Heritage area represents a unique continuation of traditional, sustainable land use.

They are traces of both Saqqaq, Thule and the early colonial establishment in Nepisene. Depicted is the well-preserved turf walls warehouse, 34 m long and 9.6 m wide, from the colonial period in 1730s.

Both the keysites Innap nuua and Arajutsisut have traces of early Thule culture. Innap nuua has evidence showing that the site was used by Thule people as early as AD 1250. Shown is a cloverleaf-shaped house at Innap nuua.

The keysite Itinnerup tupersuai comprises typical summer camps. These are situated on the ancient route from the coast to the interior as intermediate settlements on the seasonal migration.
Today some parts of them can be experienced on the famous Arctic Circle trail, a 160 km hiking route between the town of Sisimiut and the international airport Kangerlussuaq.

The old deserted settlement of Saqqarliit. The only way to reach other populated areas or settlements from here was by boat. The distance to the nearest settlement, Sarfannguit, is c. 20 km. Saqqarliit was established as a fishing settlement in 1859 and abandoned in 1961. However, ancient graves tell the story of much earlier occupation of the site.

The cairns photo shows activity in the remote inland which is inaccessible except by foot. Inussuit cairns have different shapes and sizes and are used for directional landmarks and as caribou drive lanes.

In autumn, the widespread dwarf birch scrub of the interior turns flaming red, the caribou are in prime condition and by late autumn their winter coats are fully developed. Caribou are therefore a source of many different raw materials: meat for food, skins for clothing, sinews for strings and cords, and antler for tools.

In addition to the importance of local residents continuing to be able to use the World Heritage area for recreational purposes, it is also important to maintain extensive areas with an unhindered view and no “disturbance” from modern objects in the line of sight. This means it will still be possible to experience the vast wilderness in which people lived in the past.