Making Home in Kalaallit Nunaat: Continuity and transformation from the communal house to the present

Kalaallit homes have undergone profound transformations over the past centuries. From communal winter houses accommodating several families to single-family houses, imported building materials, standardized housing and contemporary forms of dwelling, the home has been repeatedly reshaped by changing social, material and political conditions. Yet, this history is not simply one of traditional dwellings being replaced by modern ones.

Drawing on archaeological, historical, and oral historical sources, this talk explores the Kalaallit homes as both a material space and a continuous social practice. Instead of understanding the transformations solely as processes from outside, this talk considers how new materials, spatial arrangements and ideas were adopted, adapted, and reworked within Kalaallit homes. Ultimately, the talk proposes that continuity in the Kalaallit home does not necessarily lie in the persistence of a particular architectural form. It can also be found in the ongoing practice of making, adapting and remaking home under changing historical conditions.