I Menneskenes Land I et land af Grønlands størrelse er der selvsagt meget store forskelle fra region <strong>til</strong> region, <strong>og</strong> ikke overraskende synes vi selv, at <strong>Ammassalik</strong> er den smukkeste del af Grønland. <strong>Ammassalik</strong>s fjelde er stejle <strong>og</strong> savtakkede som på en børnetegning, <strong>og</strong> mange af <strong>området</strong>s dale er efter arktiske forhold frodige. Overalt findes søer, elve <strong>og</strong> vandfald med helt rent drikkevand. Talløse fjorde skærer sig på kryds <strong>og</strong> tværs ind i landet. Sermilik Fjorden er en af Grøn lands største isfjorde, <strong>og</strong> er hjemsted for den meget aktive Helheim Gletsjer, der alene producerer 5% af den årlige mængde isfjelde i Grønland. Langs kysten driver der i op <strong>til</strong> 8 måneder om året et enormt mængder af isflager. Isflagerne er frosset havvand, der er opstået i polarhavet <strong>og</strong> som herefter driver langsomt sydpå. I gammel tid var dette isbælte på en gang selve livsgrundlaget for den østgrønlandske fangerkultur, <strong>og</strong> det som holdt den lille befolkningsgruppe isoleret fra omverdenen. Isolationens tid er forbi. Skib, fly, internet, Tv <strong>og</strong> telefoni forbinder os nu med resten af verden, <strong>og</strong> som alle andre steder på kloden er <strong>og</strong>så <strong>vores</strong> kultur under kraftig påvirkning udefra. På godt <strong>og</strong> ondt. Udviklingen fra et iso leret fangersamfund <strong>til</strong> hvor vi er i dag er sket i et spring over få generationer. En udvikling som ikke har været uden menneskelige omkostninger, men moderne hjæl pe <strong>og</strong> kommunikationsmidler, forsyningsskibe samt et gratis <strong>og</strong> effektivt sygehusvæsen har indiskutabelt gjort <strong>til</strong>værelsen lettere <strong>og</strong> reddet mange menneske liv. I bygderne er fangst <strong>og</strong> fiskeri det vigtigste erhverv, men stadigt flere fangere supplerer deres indkomst med deltidsjob <strong>og</strong> turisme. In “The Land of the Human Beings.” In a country the size of <strong>Greenland</strong> there are, obviously, very large regional differences and, not surprisingly, we think that <strong>Ammassalik</strong> is the most beautiful part of <strong>Greenland</strong>. The mountains of <strong>Ammassalik</strong> are steep and serrated and look like something out of a child’s drawing. The valleys of the area are, considering the arctic conditions, fer<strong>til</strong>e, and everywhere there are lakes, rivers and waterfalls containing completely pure and fresh drinking water. Innumerable fjords cut into the length and breadth of the land; the Sermilik Ice fiord is one of <strong>Greenland</strong>’s largest icefjords and along it lie several glaciers, of which the very active Helheim Glacier alone produces 5% of the annual amount of icebergs produced in <strong>Greenland</strong>. Eight months a year, enormous amounts of ice floes flow along the coast. The floes are made of frozen seawater from the Arctic Ocean, and slowly they drift southward. For centuries this band of ice was both the life nerve for the <strong>East</strong> <strong>Greenland</strong>ic hunter culture, and that which kept this small population isolated from the surrounding world. The time of isolation is over. Ships, planes, internet, TV and telephones now connect us with the surrounding world, and like any other place on earth, our culture is heavily affected by external influen ce; for better, or for worse. The development from an isolated huntersociety to where we are today has happened in one step during few generations. A development which hasn’t been without human costs, but modern amenities and means of communication, supply ships t<strong>og</strong>ether with a free and efficient hospital service has, undoubtedly, made living easier and saved many lives. In the settlements, sealing, whaling and fishing are the most important occupations, but more hunters s<strong>til</strong>l, supplement their income with a part
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