Sámi people in decision-making processes

Analyzing Sámi people’s possibilities to participate and

influence on decision-making processes

Arctic Frontiers, Industry and Environment, Tromsø, Norway 28th of January 2016

Laura Olsén

PhD Candidate

University of Lapland.

laura.olsen@ulapland.fi

Who are the Sámi people?

Photo: Laura Olsén

Sápmi – where on earth is that?

-Area is 388 350 km² (bigger than, for example the area of Germany and it is 12,7 times the size of the area of Belgium)

Map: Laura Olsén and Finn Snaterse

Research questions

• Which kind of possibilities do Sámi people have to participate and influence on decision-making processes in national and regional level?

• Do they really have influence in practice?

Comparative political analysis

• I compare the situation in Finland, Sweden and Norway

• Research material: political statements and documentsof parliaments of Sweden and Finland and Stortinget of Norway, legal documents, news and interviews.

• Kamrava’s approach: state and society separate butclosely connected, interaction between and amongdifferent institutions. (Kamrava 1995)

• Gaining in-depth understanding over the situation

Human security as a theoretical framework

• Human beings and societal and economic structuresaround them are seen as referent objectives. (Thomas 2001)

• The importance of the elements which are crucial in maintaining the human life and dignity in society (Barnett et al. 2009)

• UNDP 1994

• In the case of Sámi people: a meaningful participation in the life of the community is seen as one of the crucial conditions for human dignity to be realized. (Thomas 2001)

Why should Sámi people have a special role in political desicion-making processes?

• Indigenous people’s group

• Historical reasons

• International law and human rights

International law and human rights

• UN Declaration on the rights of Indigenous Peoples e.g. article 18

“Indigenous peoples have the right to participate in decision-making in matters which would affect their rights, through representatives chosen by themselves in accordance with their own procedures, as well as to maintain and develop their own indigenous decision-making institutions.”

• UN Covenant on Civil and Political Rights e.g. article 27

” In those States in which ethnic, religious or linguistic minorities exist, persons belonging to such minorities shall not be denied the right, in community with the other members of their group, to enjoy their own culture, to profess and practise their own religion, or to use their own language.”

International law and human rights

• ILO 169 e.g. article 6 ” 1. In applying the provisions of this Convention, governments shall: (a) consult the peoples concerned, through appropriate procedures and in particular through their representative institutions, whenever consideration is being given to legislative or administrative measures which may affect them directly; (b) establish means by which these peoples can freely participate, to at least the same extent as other sectors of the population, at all levels of decision-making in elective institutions and administrative and other bodies responsible for policies and programmes which concern them; (c) establish means for the full development of these peoples' own institutions and initiatives, and in appropriate cases provide the resources necessary for this purpose. 2. The consultations carried out in application of this Convention shall be undertaken, in good faith and in a form appropriate to the circumstances, with the objective of

achieving agreement or consent to the proposed measures.”

International law and human rights

• The Free, Prior and Informed Consent, which basically meansindigenous people’s right to make choices concerning thedevelopment of their lands and resources. (See e.g. Ward 2011 and Prior etc. 2013)

• National legislations

• Articles referring to the right to self-determination: UN Charter art. 1, UN Covenant on Civil and Political Rights art. 1, International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights art. 1 etc.

Sámi in desicion-making process

National levelNational decisionmakingbodies/governments

Regional levelSámi people who arelisted to the Sámiparliament’s list

Sámi parliaments in Finland, Sweden and Norway

International level

The European Union

The Arctic Council

The United Nations

Sámi Council

Sámi parliamentariancouncil (SPR)

Situation and challenges in Sápmi

Norway:• Recognized as indigenous people (ILO Convention No.

169)

• ILO Convention No. 169 implementation processes in Norway

• Act of Finnmark (2005) and Finnmark’s commission (2008)

• Sámi people have an exclusive right to reindeer herding(only with few exceptions)

Situation and challenges in Sápmi

Sweden:• ILO-169 ratification process (or lack of it) in Sweden

• Recognized as people (Constitution of Sweden 2011, ch. 1, art.2)

• Sámi people have an exclusive right to reindeer herding

• Kallak mine and Sámi protests against mining

Situation and challenges in Sápmi

Finland:• Recognized as indigenous people (Constitution of Finland,

1995, art. 17 (3)

• Prolonged ILO-169 ratification process in Finland

• Disagreement on Sámi definition in Finland

• 93 new Sámi to the electoral roll against Sámi parliamentswill

• Act on the Finnish Forest and Parks service and removedarticle concerning the Sámi rights

• The supreme administrative court in Finland

With this research I want to…

• help to build a basis for an open discussionbetween the state and the Sámi people.

• bring Indigenous people’s perspective to resiliencebuilding processes.

• increase knowledge concerning the situation and real everyday challenges in Sápmi regionespecially among the Sámi people.

Preliminary conclusions

• In theory and according to national legislation and international agreements Sámi people’s position is relativelygood.

• The situation in Norway is relatively good comparing to Finland and Sweden since ILO Convention No. 169 has beenratified in Norway in 1990 and Finnmark’s commission hasbeen established. However the implementation process of the convention is still on-going and the Finnmark’scommission’s work is prolonging.

• Public conversation indicates dissatisfaction among the Sámipeople.

GIITU!THANK YOU!

Photo: Laura Olsén

References:

• Barnett, Jon & Matthew, Richard & McDonald, Ryan (ed.)(2009), Global Environmental Change and Human Security. Cambridge: MIT Press.

• Constitution of Finland 1995.

• Constitution of Sweden 2011.

• Heinämäki, Leena (2010), The Right to be a Part of Nature: Indigenous Peoples and the Environment. Acta Univeritatis Lapponiensis 180. Rovaniemi: Lapin yliopistokustannus.

• ILO Convention No.169 1989. “Indigenous and Tribal peoples Convention”.

• Kamrava, Mehran (1995), Understanding Comparative Politics: A Framework for Analysis. Taylor & Francis e-Library.

• Korpijaakko, Kaisa (1989), Saamelaisten oikeusasemasta Ruotsi-Suomessa. Helsinki: Lakimiesliiton kustannus.

• Joona, Juha (2013). ”Kuka kuuluu alkuperäiskansaan – historian vastauksia tämän päivän kysymyksiin.” Lakimies 4/2013: 734-755.

• Lim, Timothy C (2010), Doing Comparative Politics: An Introduction to Approaches and Issues. Boulder, USA: Lynne RiennerPublisher.

• Prior, Tahnee & Duyck, Sébastien & Heinämäki, Leena & Koivurova, Timo & Stepien, Adam (2013), ADDRESSING CLIMATE VULNERABILITY: Promoting the Participatory Rights of Indigenous Peoples and Women through Finnish Foreign Policy.Rovaniemi: University of Lapland Printing Centre.

• Sami Parliament Act 1992. Sametingslag SFS 1992:1433.

• Act on the Sámi parliament 1995. Saamelaiskäräjälaki 17.7.1995/974.

• The Sámi Act 1987. The Sámi Act No. 56.

• Thomas, Caroline (2001), “Global governance, development, and human security: exploring the links.” Third World Quarterly Vol. 22, No. 2: 104-113.

• UN Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, 1966. 2200a (XXI)

• UNDP 1994, Human Development Report 1994. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

References:

• UN Declaration on the rights of Indigenous Peoples, 2007. A/RES/61/295.• Ward, Tara (2011), ”The Right to Free, Prior and Informed Consent: Indigenous Peoples’ Participation Rights within International Law.”

Northwestern Jounral of International Human Rights, Vol 10, No. 2: 54.

Pictures:

Iltalehti 7.12.2015, “Pauliina Feodoroff on tunnettu saamelaisten oikeuksien puolestapuhuja”. Kuva Pasi Liesimaa. Accessed 26.1.2016. http://www.iltalehti.fi/linnanjuhlat2015/2015120720793042_dh.shtml.United Nations Human Rights, Facebook campaign 17.12.2015, “Protect the Sami people’s right to traditional lands and livelihoods”. KuvaJuha Länsman. Accessed 26.12.2016 https://www.facebook.com/unitednationshumanrights/photos/a.209013462448802.61782.207918945891587/1273482669335204/?type=3&theaterYLE 14.3.2015, “Finland shelves indigenous rights agreement ratification”. Accessed 26.1.2016 http://yle.fi/uutiset/finland_shelves_indigenous_rights_agreement_ratification/7868419. YLE 29.4.2015, “Finland’s Sámi request UN help in securing their rights”. Accessed 26.1.2016 http://yle.fi/uutiset/finlands_sami_request_un_help_in_securing_their_rights/7961531.YLE 30.9.2015, ”Ex-Sámi Parliament head quits voter’s register, calls Finland ”a racist country”. Accessed on 26.1.2016 http://yle.fi/uutiset/ex-_sami_parliament_head_quits_voters_register_calls_finland_a_racist_country/8344761 .YLE 30.9.2015, ”Nearly 100 new people accepted as Sámi persons against will of Sámi Parliament”. Accessed 26.1.2016 http://yle.fi/uutiset/nearly_100_new_people_accepted_as_sami_persons_against_will_of_sami_parliament/8343268.YLE 1.10.2015, “UN representative urges to consider suspension of Sámi elections”. Accessed 26.1.2016 http://yle.fi/uutiset/un_representative_urges_to_consider_suspension_of_sami_elections/8348127. YLE 15.1.2016, "Court: No new Sámi parliament election in Finland”. Accessed 26.1.2016 http://yle.fi/uutiset/court_no_new_sami_parliament_election_in_finland/8596416.