Muskox movements: human-animal entanglements in Northeast Greenland

Abstract

ABSTRACT Human and muskox lives in Northeast Greenland are entangled in movement. These movements are mutual; sometimes humans move muskoxen, and other times muskoxen move humans. Showing how the movements are both spatial and conceptual, the article explores four human-muskox movements. “Arrivals and Disappearances” concerns the disappearance of humans and arrival of muskoxen in Northeast Greenland in the nineteenth century. “Expansion” looks at the human exploration and mapping of Northeast Greenland by way of muskoxen. “Extinction” explores translocations of muskoxen owed to the perceived movement of muskox close to extinction. Finally, “Intrusions” looks at the mutual intrusions of Inuit and muskoxen across a legislative remove in Ittoqqortoormiit. These four human-muskox movements show how Northeast Greenland is brought into view as a world of movement.