By Elia Bartlett

The Sámi people have existed in Northern Scandinavia for thousands of years, but lands that belong to them have been exploited and used throughout history. During the Cold War the Soviets dumped nuclear waste into the Arctic Ocean, endangering the fish populations that the Sámi relied on. Currently, the misuse and exploitation of native lands is still a large problem in modern Scandinavia.

Mining

Mining has a long history in Scandinavia, and a long history of harming Sámi lands. The first iron ore mine began in 1697, and today, materials ranging from iron to copper to diamonds are being mined on Sámi land. Despite being an important part of the economy, mining can pollute and scar the surrounding areas, directly harming the environment. Runoff from the refining process contaminates water and soil with harmful chemicals, and unused rock is piled up and left in the surrounding areas. 

Within the past few years, there have been protests against mining operations on Sámi lands. Building mines takes away from grazing lands for the reindeer that are invaluable to the Sámi culture.

 “We believe that the climate, the environment, clean air, water, reindeer herding, indigenous rights and the future of humanity should be prioritized above the short-term profit of a company,” commented climate activist Greta Thunberg at a protest against a possible iron mine in Sweden in 2022.

Mining operations in Scandinavia have been destroying Sámi homeland for centuries, but protests have been arising to speak out in support of the Sámi people and their culture.

People protest a wind turbine farm in Oslo, dressed in traditional Sámi attire.

Wind Farming

Another threat to Sámi lands has been wind turbine farms. Europe’s largest wind farm is located in Denmark, on land that the Sámi have used for reindeer farming for centuries. In 2021, the Sámi protested against the farm because despite a recent Supreme Court ruling that the farm was violating their rights, it was not being taken down. Eventually, a deal was reached, but the turbines were not removed. A group of Sámi reindeer farmers were able to secure a deal for 7 million Norwegian crowns annually, and the procurement of new grazing areas for the reindeer in exchange for the wind farm being operational, but despite this conclusion, issues like this raise questions about what it truly means to protect and value indigenous culture.

Sources

The History of Mining and Inroads in Sámiland and Their Effect on the Sámi

Thunberg protests against Sweden iron mine on Sámi land

Norway activists press on with their protest against wind farm on land used by herders

Dispute over Norway wind farm continues despite partial deal

By Macy Moore

The Sami peoples are an indigenous group found across Scandinavia. They reside across Norway, Sweden, Finland, and the Russian Kola Peninsula. While descendants of the Sami live all across the world, only around 80,000 still exist in their ancestral lands today. The lands of the Sami–referred to as Sampi–is the span of area the Sami inhabit. Being derived from Nomadic culture, the group spans across many regions. Their Nomadic culture is centered around the migration patterns of reindeer across the lands. They follow the herding rhythm of these reindeer and hold nature and land at the center of their views. 

Sami people protest for their rights. 

While the Sami are indigenous to the area, the present nation states are often misaligned with the practices of the Sami throughout Scandinavia. The presence of two different groups in the same region has brought up conflicts within the region–especially targeted at those who call themselves Sami. For example, reindeer are subject to cruelty within the regions where the Sami reside. While they are sacred and important to the Sami culture, the same does not necessarily go for others who reside in these regions. Reindeer are often found shot or run over, which is hurtful to those whose migration patterns rely on the paths of these creatures. 

Racism in general is present within the regions against the Sami people. The land of the Sami has been taken, sold and used for farming or development across Scandinavian countries, and the sacred land of the Sampi has lost the vastness that Sami ancestors had known. Oppression of the Sami language is present. While it is a dying language, it is also seemingly the grounds for violence against Sami in the region. In one instance, a girl was attacked for speaking in her native tongue on a public bus in Tromso, Norway. Sami have historically been forced to assimilate into Norwegian cultures through the use of boarding schools, taxed extensively by the Swedish government as early as the 17th century, and even banned from speaking their native language in their own homeland. 

The Sami people have been oppressed as a culture within Scandinavia for quite some time. It is incredible that the voices of these indigenous peoples have not been heard for hundreds of years, and racism is still prevalent within society today. The voices of the Sami are not staying silent, and continue to ring across the world, demanding change. 

Sami History : Sami Cultural Center of North America

Who are Europe’s indigenous peoples and what are their struggles? | Euronews answers

Sámi: We are the natives of this country (unric.org)