The question when racism originated has been a matter of fierce debate among medievalists in recent years. And even though racism and colonialism are closely linked in the modern era, the beginnings of colonialism have so far been neglected in this context. This talk will therefore examine Greenland and Fennoscandia before 1500 when, on the margins of Europe, the Inuit and Sámi became targets of aggressive colonization and assimilation policies during medieval times. These case studies explore colonialism as a failed project (Greenland) as well as colonialism without a moment zero (Sápmi). "Colonial Contact Zones and Constructions of Race" thus challenges current narratives in regards to the development of race and racism in the European Middle Ages.