Louisiana Governor Defends Plan to Send Fleet of Emergency Pirogues to Greenland

Baton Rouge, LA - Jeff Landry, Louisiana governor and U.S. Special Envoy to Greenland, is defending his plan to send a fleet of emergency pirogues to the Danish territory after a stern rejection from the semi-autonomous island nation's prime minister.

Alphonse Thibodeaux, a retired shrimper from Mamou, shown here in his pirogue preparing to head out to Greenland along with the rest of the fleet

"Shame on dat couyon," Landry wrote on X over the weekend. "After making the veiller with so many dem Greenlanders bout all the problems dat they got tous les jours, healthcare was un grande de'pouille, cher."

Landry was responding to Prime Minister Nielson's immediate and forceful rejection on Sunday of President Trump's plan to send aid to Greenland despite the lack of a known medical emergency on the island or an invitation. He added that the health of Greenland is important for national security here in the United States, and that Louisiana would add to Trump's effort by sending a large fleet of pirogues to Greenland carrying a variety of emergency supplies.

The pirogue, traditionally crafted from a single hollowed out cypress log, are lightweight and buoyant watercraft that typically measure between ten and twenty feet in length. Cajun historian Andouille Hebert, an expert in the history of the pirogue, says that their flat bottom and shallow draft, and lightweight design, allow them to be easily propelled with a paddle or push pole. "The pirogue has played may roles in Louisiana culture, from transportation, to hunting and fishing, and as a symbol of our community and traditions. And if any boat could make the 3,000-mile journey across the Atlantic Ocean to Greenland, then it just might be the mighty pirogue!"

In a Truth Social post on Saturday, Trump announced his plan to send a "great hospital boat" to Greenland, though both USNS Mercy and USNS Comfort are currently in dry dock for scheduled maintenance. According to the president, Greenland would not need to wait long. "Working with the fantastic Governor of Louisiana, Jeff Landry, we are going to send a great hospital boat to Greenland to take care of the many people who are sick, and not being taken care of there. It's on the way!!!"

Landry added in his response to the Prime Minister that many in Greenland are missing out on essential basic services taken for granted by Americans. "There are small settlements without boudin, without dat good French bread for makin' po'boys, and without even un petit peu of Tony Chachere's to put in their gumbo. Mais tracasse-toi pas. That's why we sendin' dem good Louisiana boys in dem pirogues to help out, and maybe we throw in a little lagniappe too. Ca c'est bon! Allons-y, boo."