It’s a mild winter morning in the Arctic Norwegian town of Alta, but at the Altta Siida kindergarten, it’s a hub of activity. Outside, snowsuit-clad children run and play in the snow. The grounds are dominated by the school’s lavvu, a traditional Sami shelter. Inside, reindeer skins line the ground aroundContinue Reading
Saamelaiskäräjälain uudistus kaatui perustuslakivaliokunnassa. Eduskunnan vaalitauko alkaa ensi viikon perjantaina, joten kiistelty uudistus ei etene tällä vaalikaudella. Perustuslakivaliokunnan puheenjohtajan Johanna Ojala-Niemelän (sd.) mukaan aika loppui kesken. – Valiokunta piti asiaa hyvin tärkeänä, mutta näki, ettei tämän aikataulun puitteissa ole valmiutta antaa mietintöä, Ojala-Niemelä sanoi kokouksen jälkeen. Asiasta äänestettiin valiokunnassa. ValiokuntaContinue Reading
Sami in Norway are also awaiting an official report aimed at correcting past wrongs from a state commission named for what it’s seeking: truth and reconciliation. It’s due this summer, after a lengthy investigation into how Norwegian- and church authorities tried for generations to strip the Sami of their ownContinue Reading
Norway’s blustery Fosen peninsula is a long way from anywhere, its mountains sustaining the Indigenous Sami and their reindeer for centuries. These same peaks are vital to the kingdom’s wind energy plans, and native herder Lena Haugen says her people pay the price. Snaking through the snowy terrain are dozens ofContinue Reading