Previous analyses have identified a strong inverse correlation between Indigenous ancestry and both academic achievement and socioeconomic outcomes in Canada. Similar patterns are anticipated in Alaska and Greenland. While evidence supports this trend in Alaska, the situation in Greenland remains unclear.
Alaska
According to the 2020 U.S. Census, Alaska’s population of approximately 733,000 is 59% White (alone), 15% American Indian/Native Alaskan (alone), 12% multiracial, 7% Hispanic, and 6% Asian (alone). Given the substantial European ancestry among Hispanics, multiracial individuals, and American Indian/Native Alaskans, the overall proportion of European ancestry in Alaska is estimated at around 75%, comparable to the U.S. national average. Based on our computations, Alaska’s average Academic Achievement Quotient (ACHQ), derived from NAEP and PIAAC test scores, is 99.42, also near the U.S. average.
Academic achievement disparities by racial and ethnic groups in Alaska mirror those in the contiguous United States. NAEP main assessments (2015, 2017, 2019, 2022) for non-English language learners reveal an average math achievement gap of d = 0.93 standard deviations between White and American Indian/Native Alaskan students. IQ testing shows similar disparities. Grigorenko et al. (2004) administered the Cattell Culture Fair Test and Mill Hill Vocabulary Scale to 261 Yup’ik students (grades 9–12) in Alaska. As reported by Lynn (2016), the group scored an equivalent of IQ 86 on the non-verbal test and IQ 77 on the verbal test.
County-level data from the Stanford Education Data Archive indicate strong negative correlations between the percentage of American Indian/Native Alaskan residents and both ACHQ and an S-factor index based on rates of adults without a high school diploma, uninsured individuals, unemployment, SNAP recipients, and those living below 150% of the poverty line. These correlations persist after controlling for the percentage of Asian and Pacific Islander residents. Table 1 summarizes partial correlations between self-identified racial/ethnic (SIRE) percentages and both ACHQ and S-factor scores across 29 Alaskan counties, controlling for Asian and Pacific Islander populations.
Table 1. Partial correlations between SIRE percentages and academic achievement (ACHQ) and S-factor scores across 29 Alaskan counties, controlling for % Asian and Pacific Islander
Greenland
Greenland has a population of approximately 56,000, of which about 89% are reportedly Inuit (Bjerregaard et al., 2002). The remaining 9% consists primarily of Danes, other Europeans, and small groups such as Filipinos (Central Intelligence Agency, 2020). According to a large genetic study, the Greenlandic Inuit population has, on average, about 25% European ancestry. Based on these figures, the estimated country-wide ancestry proportions would be approximately 31% European, 67% Inuit (Amerindian), and 2% from other sources.
Since Greenland is a constituent country of Denmark, its Human Development Index (HDI) is not routinely reported by the UN. However, several estimates have been made for the 2008–2010 period: 0.869 (Hastings, 2009), 0.786 (Avakov et al., 2013), and 0.839 (Andersen et al., 2021). All are lower than Denmark’s HDI average of 0.93 to .95 for 2010. Summarizing the HDI components for 2010, Andersen et al. (2021) reports the following:
Table 2. Human Development Index (HDI) and component scores for Greenland and Nordic countries, as reported by Andersen et al. (2021).
Little cognitive data is available for Greenland. Becker (in View on IQ) provides an estimate of 98.89 (or 98.74 when scaled relative to the U.S. average) based on WISC Block Design scores from a sample of 40 Inuit adolescents in a study by Weihe et al. (2002). Becker excluded WISC Digit Span (SD) scores, which were low with raw scores of 2.8 and 2.3 for DS forwards and backwards, respectively, arguing that mercury exposure may have artificially lowered performance on that subtest. However, the children tested were not atypical, suggesting that if mercury exposure is affecting scores, it likely reflects a broader issue within the Greenlandic Inuit population. Using U.S. CNLSY scores as norms, computed in another post, the children’s estimated scores would be IQ 85 for Digit Span Backwards and IQ 79 for Digit Span Forwards. Averaging Block Design and Digit Span Backwards yields an estimated IQ of 92 (U.S.-normed) for the sample.
Additionally, Kleist et al., (2021) report validation results for an Greendlandic Inuit translation of The Rowland Universal Dementia Assessment Scale (RUDAS) dementia screen. The discussion and figures imply a mean score of around 24, significantly lower than scores found in validation studies of European populations (Nielson et al., 2019; M = 27.3; SD = 2.2).
Regarding the ACHQ, Statistics Greenland reports rates of satisfactory performance on achievement tests in Math, English, Danish, and Greenlandic. These scores are not directly comparable to Danish test scores, but analyzing student performance across Nuuk schools provides valuable insights. We examined results from top-performing schools on Danish tests. At Nuuk Internationale Friskole, a private international school, 90% of students were European, while 95% of students at Ukaliusaq were Inuit. Atuarfik Hans Lynge and Kangillinnguit had more mixed demographics and more admixed students, with approximately 50% and 33% of students, respectively, exhibiting predominantly European features. Pictures of the student bodies of the schools are shown below.
Based on percentages achieving satisfactory scores in years 2010 to 2019 we computed deviations scores relative to the Greenland average. Results are shown in Table 3.
Table 3. Deviation Scores for the Schools with the Highest Danish Language Performance in Greenland (Greenland average as reference)
Greenlandic | English | Danish | Math | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
All Greenland | ref | ref | ref | ref | |
Ukaliusaq | Public | -0.01 | -0.31 | -0.46 | 0.07 |
Kangillinnguit Atuarfiat | Public | 0.18 | -0.90 | -0.92 | -0.11 |
Atuarfik Hans Lynge | Public | 0.13 | -1.00 | -1.07 | -0.46 |
Nuuk Internationale Friskole | Private | 0.57 | -1.42 | -1.34 | -0.81 |
Students at Nuuk Internationale Friskole scored 0.77 standard deviations (SD) above the Greenland average, calculated by averaging Math scores and the mean of the three language tests (English, Danish, and Greenlandic). Note, the numbers at this school were small with around 150 kids over a decade of data; estimates are not precise. This may represent an upper bound for the Danish-Greenland performance gap, as the school is selective. The extent of this selectivity is unclear, but Europeans in Greenland are often administrators, suggesting a potential cognitive advantage. If we assume these students perform 0.4 SD above the Greenland average due to selection, their residual advantage would be 0.4d. For comparison, selection for the children of U.S. military personnel at Department of Defense schools is estimated to be approximately 0.3d, where one parent is directly selected on a measure of general intelligence.
For the Admixture in Americas analyses, we will use the score of 92, derived from the average of the DS backwards and Block Design scores reported by Weihe et al. (2002). Based on our preliminary analysis of achievement data, the ACHQ is likely not below this value.
It is notable that Greenlanders in Denmark are reported to have higher educational dropout rates, increased levels of poverty, and greater incidence of homelessness (Graven et al., 2023). Additionally, Greenlanders disproportionately fail the Danish Parent Competency Test. According to Human Rights in Denmark, this may be partly due to lower measured cognitive ability scores, noting:
When the municipalities examine the basis for the forced removal of Greenlandic children in Denmark, a number of tests are generally used to measure parenting skills. But according to several sources, these tests are unsuitable because they are not adapted to the target group. Greenlandic parents risk achieving low test scores, so that it is concluded, for example, that they have reduced cognitive abilities without there being actual evidence for it. Such potential misjudgements can have far-reaching consequences for both children and parents, as they can ultimately contribute to the forced removal of a child. As stated in the memo, it is well known that, among other things, intelligence tests prepared and tested in a given context or culture cannot simply be used among other peoples or cultures. The criticism of the measurement tools used in connection with forced removals should therefore be taken seriously. In Denmark, 7 per cent of children born in Greenland and 5 per cent of children with at least one parent born in Greenland are placed outside the home, compared to 1 per cent of other children in Denmark. Testing of parenting skills among Greenlanders in Denmark. (Danish Institute for Human Rights, 2022)
Greenland is another country where more detailed research is needed on the relationship between ancestry and outcomes.
References
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Avakov, A. V. (2013). Quality of Life, Balance of Powers, and Nuclear Weapons, 2013: A Statistical Yearbook for Statesmen and Citizens (Vol. 6). Algora Publishing.
Bjerregaard, P., & Curtis, T. (2002). Cultural change and mental health in Greenland: the association of childhood conditions, language, and urbanization with mental health and suicidal thoughts among the Inuit of Greenland. Social Science & Medicine,
Central Intelligence Agency. (2020). The World Factbook. CIA.gov. Archived January 9, 2021. Retrieved October 3, 2020, from https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/
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