Business and politics

A sameby – ‘Sami village’ – is not a traditional village but a complex economic and administrative union within a specific geographical area. Its members have the right to engage in reindeer husbandry in this area, including building whatever facilities they need. In certain areas they also have fishing and hunting rights. It is regulated by a Swedish law called the Reindeer Husbandry Act.

Towards the end of the 19th century, many Sami permanently kept both farms and reindeer (mixed husbandry). The government, however, would make some contentious decisions, the repercussions of which extended well into the 20th century.

The Reindeer Pasture Law of 1928 limited reindeer ownership and membership in any Sami village to herders and their families. The new restrictions forced mixed husbandry farmers to choose between reindeer herding or other forms of agriculture.

For generations, people have been turning to other professions, and the Sami are trying to ease government regulations so people can belong to a Sami village without having to own reindeer.

Truth and reconciliation

The Sami have long been in contact with the nation states that were established on the land they called home. Through these encounters, the Sami have been forced to change their way of life. It’s a history filled with abuses, violations and racism, and one that the Swedish government still has to deal with.

In 2019, the Sami Parliament submitted a formal request to the government for a truth and reconciliation commission to be established. In June 2020, the Sami were awarded 1.2 million crowns (EUR 144,000) from the Swedish state to begin laying the groundwork for a truth commission.

The Sami Parliament

The organised Sami political struggle for increased influence and autonomy began in the 1950s with the establishment of Sami associations that eventually lead to the establishment of Sametinget (Sami Parliament) in 1993. The parliament’s task is to safeguard, develop and coordinate all matters concerning Sami areas of interest. Today, there are eight political parties within the parliament, which consists of 31 members who are elected every four years and convene three times a year. The parliament is financed by grants from the Swedish government, and also serves as a government agency with 50 civil servants.

Those on the Sami electoral register –open to those who speak Sami and define themselves as part of Sami society – are eligible to vote. The numbers registering to vote have increased in recent years, not least because of a growing interest in political issues among young Sami and a growing willingness among older Sami to embrace their ethnicity.

Greater autonomy

One political goal unites all the political parties: greater autonomy. At present, the parliament is empowered only to deal with matters concerning hunting and fishing, reindeer herding, and Sami languages and culture.

The Sami parliaments in Finland, Norway and Sweden have drawn up a joint Nordic convention to strengthen their position as a minority people and influence decisions on Sami-related matters. The convention has not yet been approved by the Nordic governments.

Sweden’s constitution was amended in 2011 to affirm the obligation of public power in Sweden to promote the opportunities of the Sami people to preserve and develop a cultural and social life of their own.

New ways and old traditions

The government bill Strategy for the National Minorities, established in 2010, provides financial resources to help preserve minority languages and has created opportunities for the Sami people to care for their culture, traditions and languages.

This has meant new opportunities to further Sami interests and include Sami-speaking staff at nursing homes, Sami history in primary schools, and Sami information signs in schools and other municipality premises.

The Sami culinary tradition has also found new followers among both Sami and non-Sami while new twists have appeared through international influences.