Defence with local strength: What can Greenland learn from Canada and Iceland?
March 23, 2026|Written by Christine Hyldal
Written by Christine Hyldal
Two researchers have examined how local and Indigenous peoples are involved in defence and emergency preparedness tasks elsewhere in the Arctic.
Can civilians play a decisive role in defence and emergency preparedness in Greenland?
This is currently a heated political debate, and as a contribution to the discussion two researchers have explored the question by looking at Iceland and Canada. They are Signe Lindbjerg, a PhD student at the University of Southern Denmark, and Jeppe Strandsbjerg, associate professor at the Royal Danish Defence College and Ilisimatusarfik.
Their report is not a recommendation. That is for politicians to decide, they say. But:
“What we can say is that Canada and Iceland have largely benefited from local involvement,” says Signe Lindbjerg after the two researchers held a public lecture at Ilisimatusarfik on a freezing February afternoon.
Signe Lindbjerg and Jeppe Strandsbjerg at Ilisimatusarfik. Photo: Christine Hyldal
Knowledge of Nature Is a Superpower
In Iceland there is ICE-SAR, which consists of civilians across the country who carry out search-and-rescue operations. In Iceland this is not a military task – but it is within the Danish Realm.
In our western neighbour Canada there are the Canadian Rangers, who are part of the Canadian Armed Forces. Rangers are reservists who live in remote and isolated areas of the country, and their deep knowledge of the natural environment is their superpower.
In other words, they are the military’s eyes and ears far from the cities in the sparsely populated regions of the vast country – from Yukon in the west to Nunavut in the east.
According to the report, the Canadian Rangers are increasingly seen as a model that could inspire Greenland.
“I found it interesting to look at the Canadian Rangers because it provides insight into how Indigenous peoples relate to armed forces. In Greenland we do not have a tradition of being part of the military, and I have long found the topic interesting. Signe had the idea, and I thought: I’d like to be part of that,” says Jeppe Strandsbjerg.
Canadian rangerson patrol in Inukjuak by Hudson Bay in Nunavik.
Photo: MCpl Matthew Tower, Canadian Forces Combat Camera, Canadian Armed Forces Photo
About the Research
The report “Involving Local and Indigenous Peoples in Defence and Emergency Preparedness in the Arctic” compares the Canadian Rangers with Iceland’s ICE-SAR.
ICE-SAR’s core tasks are search and rescue and accident prevention. It is a volunteer organisation run by civilians.
The Canadian Rangers are part of a military organisation. They perform surveillance tasks, sovereignty patrols, reporting of unusual activities, data collection and much more.
ICE-SAR was chosen as a case study because of its strong track record of local involvement.
Canada is an obvious case. In the new Danish defence agreement on the Arctic there is a desire to examine the potential for Greenlandic rangers – a clear reference to the Canadian Rangers.
There are many similarities between Greenland and Arctic Canada in terms of climate, geography and terrain, extremely dispersed populations, and a shared Inuit identity.
Both cases share the basic idea that many security tasks can be solved more effectively by drawing on local knowledge of communities, terrain and climate. Having trained people distributed across the country can shorten response times in emergencies.
Watch for changes in the environment
Bernoit Mainville is the commander of the Canadian Rangers. From headquarters in Ottawa he willingly explains the Rangers’ work and their roots in local communities. There is a basic rule: watch for any change in the environment.
“When I say environment, I’m not only talking about climate change. It could be people who were not there before. It could be unusual activities such as a plane or a ship unloading 45-gallon drums at three o’clock in the morning. Basically, anything that happens outside urban areas,” says Bernoit Mainville.
“We also give them a list of indicators – specific things that can act as triggers. If you see something specific, that’s a sign you should react. But in reality we all do this every day when we walk past something and think: ‘Hey, that wasn’t there yesterday.’”
Field work takes place in every possible way: on foot, by snowmobile, dog sled, horseback, canoe, boat, ATV or pickup truck.
No one from the city tells them how to do the job
The Rangers then report what they observe, but according to their commander they are never told exactly how to do things.
The Rangers themselves are the eyes and ears and the experts in the areas where they live, so no one from Ottawa interferes in how tasks are carried out, he says.
About one third of the roughly 5,000 Rangers identify as Indigenous.
Photo: Adjudant Eric Jolin
About the Canadian Rangers
The Canadian Rangers have existed since 1947.
There are about 5,000 Rangers across 220 communities, speaking 26 different languages and dialects.
One third are Indigenous peoples.
Most are in their mid-40s, and 25 percent are women.
Training is relatively limited: 10–15 days per year focusing primarily on shooting, communication and survival.
Ranger service is part-time, so members have other jobs as well.
“There is a very, very strong respect between what I would call the conventional military and the Rangers. Rangers ensure that conventional soldiers can operate in the Arctic, where the GPS route is not necessarily the best route. Their knowledge of the terrain makes it possible to move around and simply survive,” says Bernoit Mainville.
He emphasises that Rangers are not used in combat. They do carry rifles, but primarily to protect against polar bears, wolves and foxes.
Important not to simply copy the model
This model does not exist in Greenland – at least not yet. But if it did, what would you say to convince someone to become a Ranger?
“It’s about helping to protect your country,” says Bernoit Mainville.
If Greenland decides to introduce Rangers, his advice is clear: Greenland can take inspiration from Canada, but the most important thing is to create its own model based on local Greenlandic needs. Signe Lindbjerg and Jeppe Strandsbjerg agree:
“It is important to think about local anchoring. What wishes and needs exist locally? At what level are volunteers willing to participate?” says Signe Lindbjerg.
“And we have also pointed out the risk – copying a model without carefully analysing the local context. Should businesses or organisations such as KNAPK be involved? It is important not to make a one-to-one copy,” says Jeppe Strandsbjerg.
Top photo: Private Angotautok from 1 Canadian Ranger Patrol Group participating in an operation in Nunavut. Photo: Sgt Jean-François Lauzé, Task Force Imagery Technician.