Americans, including Mr. Trump, must understand that Greenlanders are not Danes, they are predominantly Inuit — yes, the same as some of the indigenous people of Alaska. Though Danish and even English are widely understood and spoken, Greenlandic is the official language and Greenlandic Inuit culture remains strong. With Greenlanders working to gain more and more knowledge of traditions and culture that had been neglected and suppressed for hundreds of years, their sense of unique identity is perhaps stronger than ever.

Across the Arctic, Inuit people in the United States, Canada and Russia are inspired by the progress Greenlanders have made, of the nation they are building, and of their quest to define their own future. The way that indigenous peoples are often treated in America, where their languages and cultures have been marginalized, is hardly a good sales pitch for the idea of Greenland as part of the United States.

Greenlanders, in general, have no desire to be Americans. Many have no wish to be Danish either. But the truth is they don’t have to. They can continue to be Greenlanders. A recent poll conducted by a Greenlandic and a Danish newspaper found that only 6 percent of Greenlanders want to leave the Danish realm and join the United States while 85 percent oppose it. The only way to secure and advance the rights and freedoms Greenland has won over the last several decades is in partnership with Denmark.

As we see it, the union of Greenland and Denmark, along with the Faroe Islands, can be likened to the relationship between siblings. From time to time, it is tough love, to say the least; our three societies certainly don’t agree on every issue. One of the siblings has, up until now at least, always been stronger than the others, and that sometimes creates tensions. But when the schoolyard bully, in this case Mr. Trump, comes after one of us, we’re going to unite and tell him off.

This doesn’t mean that there is no role for the United States to play in Greenland. American forces have been present since World War II. As the Arctic becomes increasingly militarized, and Russia and China further their ambitions in the region, America’s military presence will most likely expand. Both Danes and Greenlanders are grateful for how America has guaranteed the security of the West for decades — and we hope and expect that America will continue doing so. Greenlanders understand the importance of the American military presence and Denmark is dedicated to its membership in the U.S.-led NATO alliance.