Sámi people in Focus.by

© Gerard Willemsen

Sápmelažžat guovddážas

Sápmi and Sámi languages

Reindeer herding

Hunting and fishing

Saami pre-Christian religion

• Shamanistic

• Holistic

• Creation is spiritual

Early Christian contacts

• Before 1100: trade contacts with Christians

• 11th century: bishop Adam of Bremen mentions Christian skridfinnar in Sweden

• Before 17th century few Christians and low church activity

17th Century

• Swedish/Norwegian colonization. • Campaigns against paganism• Baptism by force• Forced labor Silbojokk/Nasafjäll

silvermines (started 1634)• Sámi education

19th Century

• Several missions among the Sámi

• Mission schools started in many places mostly for Sámi children (who had to live with local people)

• A genuine wish to spread the Gospel to the Sámi but their culture was not recognized

19th Century - Laestadianism

• Lars Levi Laestadius (1800-1861) priest 1826

• Lutheran revival• Some contextualisation in

preaching• Laestadianism today:

rather strict and legalistic

Racial Biology• A Swedish ”invention”

(Retzius, 19th century)• Collecting bones from Sámi,

grave plundring• Institute of Racial Biology

1922-1958• Unethical forced photo-

documenting of Sámi• Lap shall be Lap

Early 20th Century

• From 1913 ”Lap shall be Lap” policy

• Nomad schools established.

• Controlled bŧ the church, instrument of colonization

Lap shall be Lap

• 1913: Nomad schools. Compulsory untill 1962!

• Language forbidden at school

• Sámi should not live in ordinary houses

”Let them not sip of the cup of civilisation … this will anyhow just be a sipping, but has never been and will never be of any blessing. Lap shall be Lap.” (Vitalis Karnell, priest in Karesuando)

Doctrine of Discovery

• Roots in a papal bulla of 1452

• Taken over by Protestantism

• God-given right to colonialize pagan peoples by force

• Still used court rulings against indigenous peoples

• Same lines of thought in Scandinavia, even if the term never was used here

Ongoing colonialism in Sápmi

• Hydro power plants reducing reindeer grazing lands

Ongoing colonialism in Sápmi

• Mineral resources

Ongoing colonialism in Sápmi

• Protests in Gallok (Kallak), Jokkmokk

Foto Tor Lundberg

Ongoing colonialism in Sápmi

• Protests in Gallok (Kallak), Jokkmokk

Foto Henrik Blind

Ongoing colonialism in Sápmi

• Black Rajd

Mining or Reindeer?

• Northland Resources seeks permission for prospecting for a nickel mine in Rönnbäck

• Government ruling 2013: The national interest of mineral resources goes before the interest of reindeer husbandry

• Protest from many, among them UCS.

Carnivores or reindeer?

• Balance between wildlife protection and reindeer husbandry (esp bear, glutton and lynx)

Sámediggi - Saami Parliament

• Chosen by the Saami and a State institution at the same time

• Since 1993

• In Sweden little influence, in Norway more

Positive Developments• Saami Parliament (1993)

– Very restricted power

• Right for language education– Lack of teachers/resources

• Saami recognized as indigenous people in Constitution

• Saami language official language in 19 municipalities– Lack of resources

• Sweden has signed UNDRIP– Not binding

Problems• Sweden has not ratified ILO 169 (Norway

has, Finland is preparing)• Sweden does not respect the Saami right

to land and natural resources• The Saami community gets too little

resources• Lack of Saami teachers, Saami press,

Saami TV.• Saami claims on skeletal remains stolen

from graves not respected

Problems

• Saami claims on skeletal remains stolen from graves not respected

• No specialized institution for Saami psychosocial health (UN Spec Rapporteur 2014) – investigation starting 2015

ILO 169

• ILO 169 is a key document

• UPR (Universal Periodic Review) 2015: several countries recommended ratification of ILO 169

• Sweden has no concrete plans to do so in a foreseeable future

Consultation

• Consultation and participation are fundamental rights of indigenous peoples

• These rights are expressed in different forms in various instruments (UNDRIP, World Bank, ILO 169, CERD, COE etc)

• ILO C169 refers to consultation, with the objective of achieving agreement or consent

Consultation in Convention No.169

Elements of the process of consultation:

• Prior consultation• Good faith• Appropriate procedures• Through representative institutions of indigenous

or tribal peoples• Not just “information”

UNDRIP

• UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples refers to Free, Prior and Informed Consent (FPIC) in specific areas:– Relocation from their lands– Redress for loss of cultural and intellectual

property, and of lands, territories and resources

– Prior to adoption of legislative and administrative measures

– Prior to approval of projects affecting their lands, territories and resources

What needs to be done?

• Develop selve-government

• Adress psychosocial issues

• Apply free and prior consent principle

• Adapt Mineral Resources Act

• Balance carnivore protection and reindeer husbandry