Greenland Rising's Piseq Contest Blends AI with Indigenous Tradition

In 2026, a year described as one of 'flux' for Greenland, the NGO Greenland Rising is championing the cultural resilience of the Kalaallit people through a unique Piseq contest. Co-founded by Ivalu Kajussen and John Toomey, the initiative aims to spotlight authentic Kalaallit accomplishments, which they feel are often overshadowed by external geopolitical interests from Europe and America. The contest invites participants to write brief emotional responses to weekly videos depicting traditional life transitions—such as births, weddings, funerals, or the Arctic Palerfik dogsled race—created with the aid of AI tools like ChatGPT, Vibe, Pond5, Gemini, and Claude Cowork. These submissions are translated into Kalaallisut and formatted as Piseqs, then shared on the group's Substack and the indigenous website siku.org.

Winning entries receive the Angakkoq Prize, named after the Kalaallit word for Shaman, honoring a tradition rooted in historical conflict resolution. Historically, Piseqs emerged from poetic 'duels' where disputes were settled not through violence but through verbal artistry, with the loser determined by who first 'lost his cool' in a tribal vote. Greenland Rising humorously suggests that Europe and the U.S. could adopt this method for their disagreements, highlighting the cultural wisdom embedded in these practices. The project not only preserves oral traditions but also leverages modern technology to amplify indigenous voices, making resources like the Substack article 'helping Greenland and you too' accessible to a broader audience.

By integrating AI with traditional storytelling, Greenland Rising fosters a dynamic cultural exchange that educates global audiences about Greenland's rich heritage. References to works like 'Collections of Ammassalik Songs' and 'Greenlandic Oral Traditions' underscore the depth of this literary tradition, while the use of platforms like siku.org ensures connectivity among Inuit communities across Greenland, Canada, and the U.S. This effort represents a proactive step in cultural preservation during a time of significant change, emphasizing the importance of indigenous perspectives in contemporary discourse.